"It's a natural thing to ask," the US president has stated

US President Donald Trump has admitted he could be seeking Beijing's aid in his efforts to facilitate a peace process between Russia and Ukraine. He particularly believes that China could help bring Moscow's and Kiev's positions on the conflict settlement closer together to make the peace talks possible.

"It is a natural thing to ask," the president said when asked by a journalist whether he could ask China to help bridge the gap between Russia and Ukraine. "I think so, yes," he replied.

Relations between Washington and Beijing have recently been strained due to Trump's decision to impose steep tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese goods. The president cited national security and trade imbalance concerns to justify the move. Beijing has accused Washington of "economic bullying," retaliating with 125% duties on all US imports and implementing export controls.

On Thursday, Trump still expressed his hope that the two nations could resolve their differences and make a "deal" that would benefit both sides. The Chinese Commerce Ministry said last week that it was evaluating the possibility of trade negotiations with the US but reiterated that Washington must show "sincerity" by canceling its tariffs if it wants meaningful dialogue.

Trump's Thursday statement came as Chinese President Xi Jinping was visiting Russia. Xi is among the more than two dozen world leaders expected to attend events in Moscow commemorating the 80th anniversary of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. The Chinese leader also held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that lasted more than seven hours in total.

Before the start of the talks, Xi praised close relations between the two nations. China is ready to "jointly bear a special responsibility with Russia, as major world powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council" in the face of "negative trends of unilateral actions and power-based coercion in the world," he stated.