Chinese President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Donald Trump during their meeting in Beijing last week that Vladimir Putin could end up "regretting" his invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to sources familiar with the American assessment of the summit and cited by the Financial Times, the Chinese leader's comments were made during wide-ranging talks that touched on the war in Ukraine, global relations and the role of international institutions.
Trump also reportedly proposed that the US, China and Russia cooperate against the International Criminal Court, arguing that the three powers have common interests in it.
Xi's comments are considered significant, as Beijing has traditionally avoided direct criticism of Putin. According to sources, during previous talks with former President Joe Biden, Xi had discussed the war in Ukraine but had not given personal assessments of Putin's decision.
The revelation comes at a symbolic moment, as Putin is expected to arrive in China this week for another summit with Xi Jinping, just days after Trump's visit to Beijing. The visit also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian friendship treaty signed by former Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Putin.
The war in Ukraine is now in its fifth year and is widely seen as a frozen conflict, with drone strikes becoming the most transformative element of modern warfare. The US administration has repeatedly accused China of supplying Russia with “dual-use” goods, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Ukrainian drone strikes near Moscow were "fully justified", following a new wave of Russian bombing over Kiev.
Xi Jinping's comments could be interpreted as a rare signal that Beijing too is seeing Putin's war as a long-term strategic burden on Russia and global stability.