Putin Floats a Summit With Trump and Xi to Discuss Ukraine Deal
Putin reportedly raised the proposal during a telephone conversation with Trump on October 9. The Kremlin suggested holding the trilateral talks alongside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, China, according to the report. Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month to discuss the Ukraine conflict, with Moscow seeking a peace deal favourable to its interests, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported. The Kremlin has confirmed that discussions about a possible meeting are underway, although no final decision has been made.
A senior US official told the newspaper that Trump had not formally agreed to the summit but could be open to the proposal as he seeks to end the Russia-Ukraine war. On Sunday, Trump said negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict were making “great progress” while defending his administration’s diplomatic approach towards Moscow. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he wanted to avoid actions that could push Russia away from the negotiating table. He also referred to ongoing hostage negotiations and said he could sign the relevant document at a later date. The two leaders discussed economic initiatives, energy supplies and international issues, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
Russian diplomats have reportedly presented the proposal to Chinese officials, who indicated they would not object if Trump agreed to participate. The proposal has raised concerns in Ukraine and among Washington’s European allies, particularly over the absence of Ukrainian representation in discussions about the conflict. He also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of failing to secure a better deal two years ago. They also expressed satisfaction with communication channels between their countries.