Putin proposes trilateral summit with Trump and Xi to discuss Ukraine war, report says

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month, with discussions potentially focusing on ending the war in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the US newspaper reported on Sunday that the proposed meeting could benefit Moscow. However, the summit has not been confirmed, and its agenda remains undecided.

According to the report, Putin floated the proposal during a telephone conversation with Trump on 9 October. The discussion also resulted in a diesel deal between the two countries, the newspaper reported, citing a former Russian intelligence official.

Possible meeting on sidelines of APEC summit

Russia has proposed holding the three-way meeting in Shenzhen, China, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for 18-19 November, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the newspaper that discussions about a possible meeting were continuing, but no clear decision had been made on whether it would take place or what its agenda would include.

Peskov said all three sides recognised the possibility of such a meeting.

A senior US official told the newspaper that Trump had not agreed to the summit but might be willing to consider the proposal.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also indicated that discussions about a possible meeting had taken place.

Responding to a journalist’s question, Rubio said he was aware of the discussions but did not know whether the meeting had been finalised. He added that Trump had made clear his desire to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, Reuters reported.

Ukraine raises concerns over US measures

The proposed summit comes amid developments in US-Russia relations, including a reported diesel deal and a presidential executive order issued on Friday easing certain key restrictions on Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised the diesel agreement and the easing of sanctions on Moscow, warning that the measures could embolden Putin and prolong the war.