In a recent discussion, Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly suggested to former U.S. President Donald Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin may come to regret his decision to invade Ukraine. This warning comes as Russia struggles on the battlefield, with Ukraine's drone technology enabling it to conduct long-range attacks, including strikes on Moscow. The ongoing conflict, now in its fifth year, has seen Russian advances slow significantly, with Ukrainian defenses reportedly eliminating thousands of Russian troops weekly. In a notable shift, Putin was compelled to reduce the scale of the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, marking it as the smallest ever due to security concerns. Economically, Russia is feeling the strain, prompting the Kremlin to increase the value-added tax from 20% to 22%, aiming to generate approximately $7.4 billion from small and medium enterprises. Additionally, Putin has sought financial contributions from oligarchs to support the war. Despite the report of Xi's comments, both China and Russia have denied that such discussions took place, and a White House summary of the meeting did not mention Ukraine or Putin.