Putin proposes trilateral summit with Trump and Xi to end Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested a three-way summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The idea was raised during a phone conversation between Putin and Trump on October 9th. Putin's proposal comes in the wake of recent overtures from Trump, including a deal on diesel exports and a waiver of a new sanctions law, which have faced criticism from Ukraine and its allies in Europe and the United States.

Following the phone call, a Kremlin spokesperson confirmed that discussions about a potential summit were taking place, although no firm agreement had been made on the summit or its agenda. A senior US official stated that Trump had not yet agreed to attend the meeting, but he was open to the proposal due to his commitment to ending the war.

Trump also commented on his deals with Russia, stating that he did not want to push Putin away from peace talks with Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Trump of attempting to pressure Kyiv into capitulating to Russia, as their relationship continues to deteriorate. Putin proposed hosting the summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen on November 18th and 19th.

The proposed summit, which would exclude Zelenskyy, would be a rare diplomatic move and likely face protests from Kyiv and its allies.