Putin Floats Trump-Xi Summit on Ukraine at APEC, Without Zelensky
Vladimir Putin has proposed a three-way summit with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, a meeting that would decide the fate of the conflict without Ukraine’s own president in the room. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Putin raised the idea directly with Trump during their October 9 phone call, according to Dim Sum Daily’s summary of the exclusive report.
The Kremlin has suggested holding the trilateral talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, on November 18 to 19, where all three leaders are expected to be present. The same October 9 call produced a deal for the United States to purchase Russian diesel fuel, a sign of how quickly Washington and Moscow have been warming.
What each side is saying
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that discussions about the meeting are underway. “There is no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting taking place,” he told the Journal. A senior U.S. official said Trump has not agreed to attend but could be receptive, given his long-stated desire to end the war. Neither the White House nor the Chinese Embassy in Washington commented. Chinese officials are reportedly concerned the meeting could overshadow China’s role at APEC.
The Kremlin has been floating versions of the idea since at least early September, with Yuri Ushakov providing the outline. The timing is deliberate: it follows Trump’s Friday decision to waive key sanctions under the Graham Act, a move that drew bipartisan criticism in Washington and objections from Kyiv.
Kyiv and Europe on the outside
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that sanctions relief would embolden Putin and prolong the conflict. A meeting of the three most powerful leaders in the world to settle a European war without the invaded country present would be expected to alarm many European capitals, and energy markets are already on edge over Ukraine’s drone campaign and the Strait of Hormuz standoff.
Whether the summit happens at all remains uncertain. No agenda exists, no commitment has been made, and the Chinese are wary. But the proposal itself marks a new phase: the war’s endgame is now being sketched in three capitals, and Kyiv’s seat at the table is not guaranteed.
