Putin Proposes Trilateral Summit with Trump and Xi to End Ukraine War

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a three-way summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The proposal was made during a telephone conversation between Putin and Trump on October 9, which also produced an agreement involving Russian diesel exports to US and international markets.

The Kremlin has suggested holding the meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, which takes place on November 18-19. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov confirmed that discussions were under way, although no agreement has been reached yet on the meeting or its agenda. A senior US official told the Wall Street Journal that Trump has not agreed to attend but could be receptive to the proposal.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned on Monday that such a meeting would only encourage Putin to continue the war, while the European Commission questioned Moscow's willingness to negotiate an end to the conflict. Sybiha argued that offering Putin a place alongside the American and Chinese presidents would reward Moscow without requiring it to take meaningful steps towards peace.

The proposed talks come as Washington eases economic pressure on Moscow while pressing Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil. Trump has been negotiating with Moscow, arguing that imposing further economic pressure on Russia could undermine efforts to end the war. However, the proposed summit remains uncertain, with Trump yet to formally agree to participate and the Kremlin acknowledging that discussions are still at a preliminary stage.