US President Donald Trump's parting shot in his explosive meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky last week was: "This is going to be great television."

But for Ukrainians living in China and watching their country battle Russia, it was painful and outrageous.

Tensions escalated last Friday as the Trump team criticised Zelensky for wearing battle fatigues to the Oval Office meeting and accused him of a lack of gratitude for American support as his country fought Russia.

Julia, a 36-year-old from central Ukraine working as a sourcing manager in Shanghai, was left outraged.

"That was the most shameful behaviour ever displayed towards anyone at that high level," she said.

The Ukrainian people did not owe gratitude to the US after Kyiv agreed to give up its nuclear weapons in 1994 based on American-backed assurances of territorial sovereignty, she added.

"Now, we are enduring three years of full-scale war - Ukraine is Europe, what is good for Europe is good for us," said Julia, who chose not to give her surname.

Many Ukrainians in China, who are mostly students or contract workers living in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Harbin and Hong Kong, share that respect for Ukraine's top leadership in these challenging times.

"As a Ukrainian, I have immense respect for our president and the leadership he has shown," Julia said.

Others echoed her sentiments, expressing their sadness over the blatant disrespect shown to a leader "fighting for his nation's survival".

"It is painful to witness such disrespect," said another Ukrainian living and working in Shanghai who did not wish to be identified.

On Tuesday, Zelensky acknowledged on social media that the meeting did not go as intended. "It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right," he posted.

A day earlier, the Trump administration had paused all US military aid to Ukraine.

In Beijing on Wednesday, China's special envoy for European affairs Lu Shaye said the way Trump was treating allies across the Atlantic was "quite appalling", and that a peace deal for Ukraine should not be determined only by the US and Russia.

"I believe European friends should reflect on this and compare the Trump administration's policies with those of the Chinese government," Lu said. "In doing so, they will see that China's diplomatic approach emphasises peace, friendship, goodwill and win-win cooperation."

Ukrainians in China expect Beijing to play a role in restoring peace to their country while still maintaining its neutrality. China is a close strategic partner of Russia - which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Julia suggested that China could share some of its scientific and medical resources with Ukraine, for example rehabilitating Ukrainian soldiers and sharing information technology expertise.

"It should be possible without contributing directly to the war effort, and maintaining its strategic neutrality," she said.

Others shared ways in which China could foster cultural exchanges with Ukraine that would allow the Chinese people to learn more about the history of the former Soviet state.

"It's important to work towards fostering strong cultural ties and to learn about Ukrainian history," Julia said.

Alex, a 37-year-old quality assurance manager from Dnipro now based in Shanghai - who also did not wish to give his surname - said China might be preoccupied with countering Trump's tariffs war, with 20 per cent duties imposed so far on US imports of Chinese goods.

But the use of drones in the Ukraine war might be offering Beijing lessons on unmanned warfare, he added.

"I think they'll have their hands full with the coming trade war to focus too much on Ukraine. I think that China is learning a lot about drone warfare that is occurring in Ukraine."

https://www.amazon.com/Africircle-AfriPrime/dp/B0D2M3F2JT

Trump wants to see more than just a minerals deal to restart aid and intel to Ukraine

As U.S. and Ukrainian officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia this week, President Donald Trump has privately made clear to aides that a signed minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv won’t be enough to restart aid and intelligence sharing with the war-torn country, according an administration official and another U.S. official.

Trump wants the deal, which would give the U.S. a stake in Ukraine’s mineral resources, signed. But he also wants to see a change in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s attitude toward peace talks, the officials said, including a willingness to make concessions such as giving up territory to Russia. Trump also wants Zelenskyy to make some movement toward elections in Ukraine and possibly toward stepping down as his country’s leader, the officials said.

Elections in Ukraine have been paused under the country’s constitutional provision for martial law, which has been in effect since Russia invaded in 2022.

“As President Trump demonstrated by reading President Zelenskyy’s message at the joint session, the Ukrainians have made positive movement. With meetings in Saudi this coming week, we look forward to hearing more positive movement that will hopefully ultimately end this brutal war and bloodshed,” White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said when asked about Trump’s requirements.

Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine in the aftermath of the U.S. pause in equipment and intelligence sharing this week, making Friday one of the deadliest days for civilians this year, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Most of the casualties occurred in the Donetsk region, in territory controlled by Ukraine. Casualty numbers have been higher so far in 2025 than in 2024, the monitoring agency said.

The U.S. does not have any indication that the pause in intelligence sharing had a direct impact on the Russian attacks, according to the U.S. official and the administration official. They said these large attacks were likely planned before the intelligence and aid stopped.

Congressional Republicans are applying pressure on the White House to restart both aid and intelligence, and the two officials said they are optimistic the flow of weapons and equipment and sharing of intelligence could be restored as early as next week, especially after Zelenskyy pronounced that Ukraine is “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible.” The Ukrainian president also said he and his team “stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”

The officials said the U.S. is still sharing defensive intelligence with Ukraine — that is, information that helps Ukraine’s self-defense against attacks — explaining that they still have a duty to warn. But they are not providing targeting information against Russian targets. That means the U.S. can warn Ukraine when intelligence shows that Russians are preparing an attack, but they can no longer provide the targeting coordinates for Ukraine to strike first.

The U.S. has provided Ukraine with targeting information, satellite imagery and signals intelligence for most of the past three years. European allies are now working to bridge some of the gaps, but the lack of U.S. intelligence is already having an impact on Ukraine every day, according to a Western official.

“Every day hurts Ukraine, and every day gives Russia a more favorable position,” the official said.

https://www.amazon.com/Africircle-AfriPrime/dp/B0D2M3F2JT

Trump is negotiating with Ukraine ‘basically on behalf of Russia’: Fmr. Pentagon official

This week, Ukraine and U.S. officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia to restart negotiations on a mineral deal and a peace agreement with Russia. Former Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh shares her thoughts on the meetings in the Middle East and what President Trump’s foreign policy decisions so far could mean for Asia.

https://www.amazon.com/Africircle-AfriPrime/dp/B0D2M3F2JT

Ukrainian lawmaker tells BI that Trump has taken away one of the 'most important things' Kyiv got from the US and left it at risk

• The US paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine and cut its access to satellite imagery this week.

• A Ukrainian lawmaker told BI that it will leave Kyiv dangerously vulnerable to Russian air attacks.

• The moves follow the Trump administration's decision to pause military aid to Ukraine.

President Donald Trump's decision to sever critical assistance this week hurts Ukraine's ability to see the battlefield clearly, leaving it in the dark on larger Russian troop movements and vulnerable to bombardment.

The US pause on intelligence sharing and restrictions on Ukraine's access to crucial satellite imagery is expected to seriously impact the country's ability to defend against Russian missile attacks, a Ukrainian lawmaker told Business Insider in Kyiv on Friday.

Serhiy Rakhmanin, a member of Ukraine's parliamentary committee on national security, defense, and intelligence, said that this decision will also impact Kyiv's ability to monitor Russian troop and equipment movement in the rear.

Being able to see shifts in the battle lines and buildups is crucial to mounting a proper defense. Intel and satellite imagery also enable deep offensive strikes.

US officials confirmed earlier in the week that Washington had stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv. The move followed Trump's decision to pause the flow of military aid to the war-torn country after a deeply contentious Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Then, on Friday, the Trump administration suspended access to satellite imagery by Ukrainian accounts. Maxar, a leading US satellite imaging company that provides services to Kyiv, said that it was affected by the move.

Weapons get the most attention, but intel is vital. "Intelligence is one of the most important things that Ukraine has received from the United States," said Rakhmanin, who spoke to BI through a translator. He added that "the most sensitive issue" for Kyiv is the ban on using satellite data.

"This creates problems, particularly in obtaining information about missile attacks. It significantly weakens the capabilities of the air defense system," Rakhmanin said. "The United States has provided information obtained from satellites, including Maxar data."

Maxar is contracted with the Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery (GEGD) system, a major portal that can share access to US-purchased commercial satellite imagery with allies and partners. The company said that the American government had temporarily suspended Ukrainian accounts in GEGD.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which is part of the Department of Defense, confirmed the move and said that it acted "in accordance" with the Trump administration's orders.

Access to satellite imagery is important for Ukraine, as it allows the country to plan strikes, track Russian military activities, and assess damage to infrastructure. It also gives the world unprecedented visual access to the three-year-long conflict.

The full extent of the US pause to intelligence sharing and military aid is unclear, but Ukrainian lawmakers and officials like Rakhmanin are hopeful that Kyiv's booming defense industry and European countries could help to fill some of the gaps in both spaces.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelenskyy, told BI earlier this week that the US aid freeze could most crucially affect his country's air defenses. Insufficient interceptor missiles, coupled with a limit on Kyiv's ability to properly collect information about air attacks, could be a severe issue in defending cities from Russia.

"The restriction on intelligence is particularly problematic in countering missile attacks, monitoring the Black and Azov seas, and tracking troop and equipment movements deep within Russian
territory," Rakhmanin said.

The Trump administration's approach to the war in Ukraine has so far been drastically different from that of the Biden administration, which pledged more than $65 billion in security assistance after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Trump officials have expressed skepticism about continued US support for Ukraine, with the president pushing for a swift end to the war, even if it's a poor deal for Kyiv.

At the end of February, tensions boiled over after Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskyy at the White House over peace talks with Russia on unfavorable terms. The US then abruptly moved to pressure Kyiv by pausing military aid and intelligence sharing.

In his Tuesday address to a joint session of Congress, Trump said, "It's time to end the senseless war." BI reached out to the White House for comment on the expected impact of reduced support but did not receive a response.

Conflict experts at the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank, warned on Friday that Moscow will likely take advantage of Trump's decision and intensify its strike campaign against Kyiv. Officials said on Saturday that Russian attacks killed at least 20 people overnight.

"For front-line and near-front-line operations, we can still manage without US support," Rakhmanin said, "but for more strategic efforts, their role remains crucial."

https://www.amazon.com/Africircle-AfriPrime/dp/B0D2M3F2JT