Putin, Xi and Trump could meet at China summit
The Russian, Chinese, and US presidents, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Donald Trump, could potentially convene at an upcoming Asia-Pacific summit in China, according to a Kremlin statement on Monday. No specific proposals or agendas have been discussed regarding a meeting between the three leaders. The Kremlin emphasized that a final peace deal in Ukraine cannot be reached without the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Putin sought a summit with Xi and Trump to discuss the Ukraine conflict and possibly broker a peace agreement that would favor Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the report, stating that the possibility of such a hypothetical meeting has been mentioned among the three heads of state. However, Peskov added that no substantial proposals or agreements have been discussed or proposed regarding the meeting itself or its potential content.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group is scheduled to hold a summit in Shenzhen, China, from November 18-19. All three countries, Russia, China, and the US, are members of the organization. When asked if Putin believed he could achieve a deal without Ukraine's involvement, Peskov stated that a final settlement is impossible without Kyiv's participation. He reiterated that Zelensky's authority to sign a deal is questionable due to his term expiring under martial law.
Ukraine has vehemently rejected Putin's stance, asserting that his refusal to meet with Zelensky demonstrates a lack of interest in ending the war. The Kremlin has denied these accusations. Peskov's comments came after Trump waived new sanctions on Russia and struck a diesel deal with Moscow, raising concerns in Ukraine and Europe that the White House was shifting towards Moscow.
Trump has recently made critical remarks about Zelensky regarding the war, accusing the Ukrainian leader of not wanting to end the conflict. Zelensky has firmly rejected these allegations.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
