Russian President Vladimir Putin has put forward the idea of a trilateral summit next month involving U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping aimed at negotiating an end to the roughly four-year-old conflict in Ukraine on terms that would favor Moscow. People familiar with the discussions say the suggestion followed a phone call that produced a parallel agreement for the United States to buy Russian diesel.
The proposal came amid a recent thaw in relations between the U.S. and Russia, which included a U.S. executive order issued on a Friday that waived key sanctions on Moscow. Sources briefed on the conversations say the suggestion for a leaders' meeting was raised during an October 9 telephone call that also yielded the diesel deal.
Officials reached for immediate comment were not available. The White House did not reply straightaway to a request for comment, and Russian government officials could not be contacted outside regular business hours. Diplomatic missions for Russia and China in Washington also did not respond immediately to inquiries.
Those familiar with the matter said the Kremlin proposed staging the trilateral dialogue on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for November 18 to 19 in Shenzhen. The Kremlin has publicly confirmed that talks about a potential meeting are taking place but emphasized that no firm arrangements exist.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that discussions are ongoing and cautioned that "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."
A senior U.S. official described the situation as one in which the U.S. president has not agreed to attend a trilateral summit but could be open to the idea. The official's comments indicate that while the concept has been raised at high levels, it has not yet secured a formal commitment.
The diesel purchase agreement and the executive order easing certain sanctions have already prompted criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who warned that those moves could encourage President Putin and prolong the conflict. Observers note that the combination of diplomatic outreach, energy deals, and sanctions relief raises questions about how the situation may influence regional security and market sentiment.
Context and potential implications
- The leaders' summit is proposed to address the Ukraine conflict with terms said to be favorable to Moscow.
- The proposal is linked temporally to an October 9 phone call that produced a diesel purchase agreement between the United States and Russia.
- Kremlin officials confirm talks are underway but say there is no settled plan or agenda; U.S. officials say the president has not committed.
- Ukraine's president has publicly criticized the recent agreements, warning they could embolden Russia and extend the war.
Given the early stage of discussions and the lack of formal agreement by the U.S. president, the possible summit remains hypothetical. Any movement toward a meeting or a negotiated resolution would depend on further diplomatic engagement and explicit commitments from the three capitals involved.