By Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France, June 17 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday described Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin as “neutral” during the war with Iran, saying they had not thwarted his efforts to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
“I just want to thank them because they made it a lot better,” Trump said following the adoption of a ceasefire agreement in the conflict.
Speaking at a press conference at the Group of Seven conference in Evian-les-Bains, France, Trump told reporters he was grateful to the leaders for staying out of the conflict.
“I want to thank China, President Xi. I was with him, and he stayed neutral, totally neutral, and I appreciate it,” Trump said. “And I want to thank Vladimir Putin, he was very neutral. They could have made it much more difficult for us.”
Trump’s comments stood in contrast to his comments on U.S. allies from Japan to Europe, whom he has criticized for not helping with the military operation or subsequent efforts to clear the Strait of Hormuz, the Iran-blocked maritime trade route.
Moscow and Beijing maintain close ties with Tehran. Russia has said the war could lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
Beijing has condemned Washington’s attacks on Tehran as a brazen violation of the country’s sovereignty. U.S. intelligence officials assess that Beijing supplied Tehran with goods with potential military uses, according to people familiar with the matter. China’s independent oil refiners have been Iran’s main customers during the conflict, defying U.S. sanctions.
But Trump said that Xi was helpful to resolving the conflict, and avoided sending in “big weaponry” or shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.
“They could have sent in an oil ship with six destroyers alongside of it, on each side. They didn’t do that. President Xi helped me. He tried to help, and I think he probably helped get it solved,” Trump said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington said their position had been “consistent” and that they had been “working tirelessly for the end of fighting and peace.”
Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt; editing by Michelle Nichols, Alistair Bell and Sanjeev Miglani)
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