During President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly told his American counterpart that Vladimir Putin "might ultimately regret" his decision to invade Ukraine, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The assessment, conveyed during one of several meetings between the two leaders from 13 to 15 May, marked the first time Xi has offered such a personal judgment on the Russian leader's actions in conversations with a US president. Trump, for his part, proposed that the United States, China and Russia should cooperate against the International Criminal Court in The Hague, arguing that it was in their shared interest to push back against the court's jurisdiction.

The Financial Times report has been firmly rejected by Beijing. "The information you mentioned contradicts the facts," said Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, dismissing the story as a fabrication. Chinese officials have consistently avoided public criticism of Putin's war, instead calling for a negotiated settlement and blaming NATO expansion for the crisis. The denial underscores Beijing's careful balancing act: maintaining its strategic partnership with Moscow while not alienating Washington.

Viewed from Moscow, the reported remark, even if denied, signals a potential shift in China's private posture. Russian state media have largely downplayed the story, but independent analysts note that any hint of Chinese ambivalence could complicate Putin's narrative of a unified anti-Western front. From Washington, the episode is interpreted as a possible opening for dialogue, though scepticism persists given China's material support for Russia's war economy. The ICC suggestion, meanwhile, reflects Trump's long-standing hostility to international tribunals.

The controversy comes just ahead of another high-profile summit: Putin is due in Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday, his first visit since Trump's departure. The timing raises questions about whether Xi will raise the substance of his conversation with Trump with his Russian counterpart. Analysts in London suggest that even if Xi's alleged remark was exaggerated, the very fact that such a report circulates may push Moscow to seek stronger guarantees from Beijing. As the Ukraine war grinds on, the triangular diplomacy between the three powers remains as opaque as it is consequential.