Zelenskyy Says He Urged Trump to Enlist China in Ukraine Peace Push

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he urged U.S. President Donald Trump to enlist China’s help in ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, adding a new diplomatic layer to a week of intensive back-channel activity on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to AP News.

The disclosure came as Reuters reported that Washington has separately proposed a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia, and U.S. officials to be held in the United Arab Emirates — a venue Kyiv has publicly confirmed.

The China Gambit

Zelenskyy’s appeal to Trump reflects Kyiv’s recognition that China, as Moscow’s largest trading partner and a diplomatic interlocutor Beijing has repeatedly styled as a neutral peace broker, holds leverage over Russia that Western governments cannot replicate. Ukraine has long sought to pull Beijing off the fence.

China’s government has maintained formal neutrality while deepening economic ties with Russia throughout the war. Beijing has rejected Western characterizations of that relationship as material support for Moscow’s military effort, insisting it does not supply lethal aid. Pressure on that position has grown on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers have been scrutinizing Chinese entities over separate concerns about Iran-related transfers.

Whether Trump followed through on Zelenskyy’s suggestion — or whether any conversation with Chinese counterparts has taken place — was not immediately clear from available reporting.

A Trilateral Track in Abu Dhabi

The proposed UAE meeting adds a second track to an already crowded diplomatic calendar. Zelenskyy confirmed the U.S. proposal for a three-way session with Russian representatives, though it remained unclear whether Moscow had accepted or even responded formally.

The UAE has emerged as a preferred neutral venue for sensitive talks in the current geopolitical environment. Emirati officials have cultivated relationships with both Western governments and Russia throughout the war, and Abu Dhabi hosted earlier back-channel communications during the conflict’s first years.

The trilateral format would mark a departure from the bilateral Ukraine-Russia framing that dominated early ceasefire diplomacy. A direct U.S. presence at the table would give Washington formal standing in any eventual agreement — and corresponding responsibility for enforcement.

Zelenskyy has been cautious about any arrangement that could freeze current territorial lines. Kyiv has consistently insisted that a just peace requires the return of occupied territories, a position that remains incompatible with Moscow’s annexation declarations.

UNGA Diplomacy Intensifies

This week’s disclosures follow a period of unusual diplomatic density at the annual General Assembly gathering in New York. Earlier this week, the United States extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a G20 meeting in Miami — a signal widely read as Washington testing the temperature for direct engagement.

Zelenskyy was also present in New York, where he challenged Putin to direct negotiations from the UNGA podium. The Ukrainian leader has been working to internationalize pressure on Moscow, with the UN General Assembly passing a resolution backed by 80 nations that addressed multiple conflict zones, including Ukraine.

On Russia’s side, strikes continued against Ukrainian industrial infrastructure even as diplomatic contacts multiplied — a pattern Kyiv has cited as evidence that Moscow is negotiating in bad faith.

What Comes Next

The convergence of a proposed UAE trilateral, China outreach, and active UNGA lobbying suggests both Kyiv and Washington are testing multiple paths toward some form of negotiated pause or settlement. None of those tracks has produced a concrete date, agenda, or confirmed attendance from Russia.

For Zelenskyy, the China ask is a long-shot but not a throwaway. If Trump were to raise Ukraine directly with Chinese leadership — particularly in the context of ongoing U.S.-China trade and technology negotiations — Beijing would face pressure to demonstrate the peace-broker role it has long claimed. Delivering any visible movement on Ukraine could offer China diplomatic cover in other areas.

For now, the flurry of proposals and disclosures reflects a diplomatic moment with more open questions than answers. Whether the UAE meeting convenes, and whether China plays any role, will likely determine whether this week’s activity represents a genuine shift toward talks or another cycle of signaling without substance.