Rubio and Lavrov discuss possible Trump-Putin meeting at APEC summit
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he raised a possible meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at next month's APEC summit in China with Russia's Sergei Lavrov.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that he had briefly discussed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov the possibility of Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meeting at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, on 18 and 19 November. Rubio told reporters on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta that it had not been a formal meeting with Lavrov, but a brief exchange touching on bilateral relations.
The G20 gathering was meant to prepare for a leaders' summit in December at Trump's Doral resort in Miami, where Trump has invited Putin. Lavrov's presence caused friction among participants, and the traditional group photograph was cancelled on Friday after European officials declined to be pictured alongside him, Sud Ouest reported. Trump told reporters he would have no objection to also inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Rubio said he did not know whether a negotiated peace in Ukraine was achievable, adding that talks to end the war had been stalled since the start of the year. On the Black Sea, where commercial ships are regularly attacked, he said there was growing international interest in acting as a guarantor or facilitator of a ceasefire, which would resolve one aspect of the conflict without ending the war.
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What we know
- Rubio said he briefly discussed a possible Trump-Putin meeting with Lavrov at the G20 in Atlanta.
- Any meeting could take place at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, on 18-19 November.
- Trump said he would have no objection to inviting Zelensky to a planned December G20 summit in Miami.
Not yet confirmed
- Whether a Trump-Putin meeting will actually take place at the APEC summit has not been confirmed by either government.
Why it matters for Europe
Any face-to-face contact between Trump and Putin would be the most senior US-Russia exchange since peace talks over Ukraine stalled at the start of the year. A Black Sea ceasefire, which Rubio said Washington was reviewing, would address attacks on commercial shipping that have disrupted grain and energy exports that European markets rely on. The diplomatic manoeuvring follows a separate push by Turkey to host Russia-Ukraine-US talks, and a humanitarian ceasefire this week that allowed civilians to leave the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky, showing that limited de-escalation steps remain possible even as the wider war continues.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 4 countries.
- Știrile ProTV: Donald Trump și Vladimir Putin s-ar putea întâlni în China. Ce au discutat miniștrii lor de externe la reuniunea G20
- Le Monde: EN DIRECT, guerre en Ukraine : Donald Trump et Vladimir Poutine pourraient s’entretenir à la mi-novembre, selon le chef de la diplomatie américaine
- 7sur7: Rubio dit avoir évoqué avec Lavrov une rencontre entre Poutine et Trump à la mi-novembre
- Sud Ouest: Rencontre Trump Poutine : Marco Rubio et Sergueï Lavrov évoquent un rendez-vous possible en novembre
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What did Rubio and Lavrov discuss?
- Rubio said they briefly discussed the possibility of Trump and Putin meeting at the APEC summit in China in November.
- When and where could Trump and Putin meet?
- A meeting could take place at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, on 18 and 19 November, though it has not been confirmed.
- What else did Rubio say about peace efforts?
- He said Washington saw growing interest in acting as a guarantor of a Black Sea ceasefire, though this would not end the war.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.