Putin Proposes Three-Way Meeting With Trump and Xi to Discuss Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a three-way meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss the war in Ukraine. The potential talks, which would exclude Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, were raised by Moscow and could take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Shenzhen, China, in November.

The Chinese side has reportedly reached out to U.S. counterparts seeking clarification on the desire for such a meeting, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The Kremlin confirmed that the possibility of a three-way meeting had been discussed hypothetically, but stated that no concrete proposals or agreements had been made regarding the meeting itself or its agenda.

This proposal follows recent public comments by Trump, who suggested it was "time for somebody else" to negotiate for Ukraine and criticized Kyiv's handling of the war, particularly its actions targeting Russian diesel refineries. Trump also recently signed an executive order placing on hold a sanctions package against the Russian economy and stated on his social media platform that he was "negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine" and did not want to "drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the situation, stating that while talks had been discussed, they were not finalized. He added that Trump is "open to anything that he can do to help bring the war to an end, if it’s possible."

Ukrainian officials have expressed skepticism about a meeting that excludes Kyiv. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha suggested that a trilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia could help end the war sooner, but a meeting between Russia, China, and the U.S. would likely "encourage Putin to continue this war."

China's Foreign Ministry has declined to comment on the matter. The APEC forum in Shenzhen is scheduled for November 18 and 19. Beijing may be hesitant to host a high-profile meeting that could overshadow the summit and potentially anger the European Union, a strong supporter of Ukraine and a key trading partner for China.

Despite the Russian proposal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged that any final peace settlement would be impossible without the participation of Kyiv representatives prepared to take responsibility. The proposal comes amid an escalation in the conflict, with both sides targeting critical infrastructure, suggesting Moscow may be attempting to exploit perceived strains in the U.S.-Ukraine relationship.