Trump Thanks Xi, Putin for 'Neutrality' in Iran War at
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- Trump thanked Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at a June 17 G7 press conference in Evian-les-Bains, France, calling both leaders 'neutral' during the Iran war and saying they 'could have made it much more difficult for us.'
- Trump contrasted his gratitude toward Xi and Putin with his criticism of US allies from Japan to Europe, who he said failed to help with the military operation or with clearing the Iran-blocked Strait of Hormuz.
- Trump credited Xi specifically with helping resolve the conflict, saying China avoided sending 'big weaponry' or shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, and chose not to escort an oil tanker with destroyers.
- The ceasefire agreement was adopted on Wednesday, per the article, providing the backdrop for Trump's thanks — a framing at odds with Asia Times' headline 'All the ways Iran beat Trump into submission.'
- China and Russia maintain close ties with Tehran, and Beijing condemned US strikes on Iran as a 'brazen violation of sovereignty,' even as US intelligence officials assess Beijing supplied Tehran with goods of potential military use.
- Chinese independent oil refiners have been Iran's main customers during the conflict, defying US sanctions — a detail the source surfaces that complicates Trump's 'totally neutral' characterization of Xi.
Why it matters: Trump is publicly rewarding China and Russia — both of whom maintain deep ties and economic lifelines to Tehran — for non-interference, a stance that sharpens his simultaneous pressure on democratic allies to share the military and logistical burden of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
