On Thursday, President Donald Trump expressed his appreciation for the neutrality exhibited by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the conflict with Iran.
Trump praised the two leaders for not hindering his attempts to restrain Iran's nuclear ambitions. "I want to thank China, President Xi. I was with him, and he stayed neutral, totally neutral, and I appreciate it," Trump commented. He also thanked Putin, stating, "he was very neutral. They could have made it much more difficult for us."
Following the signing of a ceasefire agreement in the conflict with Iran, Trump made the remarks during a press conference at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France. He expressed gratitude to the leaders for not intervening in the conflict, stating, "I just want to thank them because they made it a lot better."
Beijing–Moscow–Tehran Ties
Trump's comments on China and Russia's neutrality in the Iran conflict come amid Xi and Putin's long-standing close ties with Tehran. His comments also draw a sharp contrast to the criticism of his North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies for not contributing enough to military operations and efforts to reopen the Iran-blocked Strait of Hormuz, or not allowing U.S. fighter jets to use their military bases.
Before Trump visited Beijing in May, China and Iran held a meeting that experts described as 'deeply strategic', signifying Iran's determination to prove that it is not isolated and has options in its standoff with Washington.
In April, China condemned the military presence in the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions, while Trump warned Beijing of "big problems" if it supplied Iran with air defense systems and later threatened a 50% tariff on China after reports suggested a possible weapons shipment. Beijing, however, called the report "completely fabricated."
Furthermore, European intelligence reports indicated that Russia had transferred drone technology to Iran. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed he has "100% facts" that Iranian-made drones, allegedly linked to Russian support, have already been used against U.S. bases and other targets in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the U.S. had ended waivers on sanctions for Iranian and Russian oil, as part of a "maximum pressure" policy on Iran.
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