Trump open to meeting Putin and Xi in China, says Ukraine needs new negotiator
Trump said he would attend a possible three-way summit with Putin and Xi on nuclear disarmament, and suggested someone else negotiate for Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday he was willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China, potentially without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while renewing his criticism of Kyiv, the Kyiv Post reported.
"We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearization," Trump told reporters when asked about a possible summit, according to the Kyiv Post. Asked whether Ukraine would also be discussed, he said he would do "whatever I can do to end the war."
A meeting could take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, on 18-19 November, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by the Kyiv Post. The newspaper reported that Putin had raised the idea of the meeting, hoping it could help produce an agreement ending the war on terms favourable to Russia.
Trump also defended his decision to waive new sanctions against Moscow and a deal involving Russian diesel exports, measures Zelensky has criticised as benefiting Putin, the Kyiv Post reported. "Zelensky doesn't know what he's talking about," Trump said, adding, "I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha rejected the prospect of the three leaders discussing Ukraine's future without Kyiv, saying a three-way meeting involving Russia, China and the US "would only encourage Putin to continue this war," according to the Kyiv Post. He said Putin should show genuine willingness to end the war, including accepting a ceasefire, before being offered another high-profile summit.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the possibility of such a meeting had been raised but said no formal proposals, agreements or agenda had been established, ORF News reported. China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said she had no information about a possible trilateral summit, according to the Kyiv Post.
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What we know
- Trump said he is willing to meet Putin and Xi in China, potentially without Zelensky, to discuss nuclear disarmament and possibly Ukraine.
- A meeting could take place around the APEC summit in Shenzhen on 18-19 November, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
- Trump said Zelensky "doesn't know what he's talking about" and suggested someone else negotiate for Ukraine.
- Ukraine's foreign minister rejected any three-way talks on Ukraine's future without Kyiv's participation.
- The Kremlin confirmed the idea of a meeting had been raised but said no formal proposals exist; China said it had no information on a summit.
Not yet confirmed
- No country has confirmed a meeting will take place; only the possibility has been raised by sources cited in US media reports.
Why it matters for Europe
Any discussion of Ukraine's future between the US, Russia and China without Kyiv's involvement would alarm European governments, which have pushed for Ukraine to have a direct seat at any negotiations over the war. Trump's renewed suggestion that someone else negotiate for Ukraine, alongside his earlier moves to ease sanctions on Russia, adds to concern in Kyiv and European capitals that Washington's approach to ending the war could shift further without consulting Ukraine or its allies.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 1 countries.
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Questions and answers
- Would Zelensky take part in the proposed meeting?
- Trump said the meeting with Putin and Xi could happen without Zelensky, and suggested someone else should negotiate on Ukraine's behalf.
- When and where might the meeting take place?
- Possibly on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, on 18-19 November, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by the Kyiv Post.
- How has Ukraine responded?
- Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha rejected any three-way talks on Ukraine's future without Kyiv, saying it would only encourage Putin to continue the war.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.