Republicans hurting from Trump’s abrupt embrace of Putin — report

US President Donald Trump expressed openness on Monday to a meeting involving himself, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin during his upcoming visit to China. The proposed three-way summit would focus on nuclear weapons and denuclearization, according to Trump. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump stated he would be willing to arrange such a meeting if Xi was interested.

Trump suggested the meeting was his idea and tied it to his planned November visit to China, though no specific date or agenda had been finalized. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov previously indicated that such discussions could be advantageous. Trump claimed that achieving denuclearization would be a significant contribution to global peace, though he did not elaborate on the potential agreement's specifics.

This proposal emerged following the Kremlin's suggestion that the three leaders could convene informally at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China. Trump was then questioned about the possibility of meeting Xi and Putin without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky present. Trump indicated he would proceed with the talks if they could aid in ending the conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing that any action to resolve the war, regardless of who participated, was acceptable to him.

Regarding Zelensky's performance as a negotiator, Trump voiced skepticism, suggesting it might be prudent to have someone else engage in Ukraine's negotiations. When asked about criticism that his decision to waive sanctions against Russia was perceived as supporting Putin, Trump defended his stance, arguing that his actions were aimed at halting the war between Russia and Ukraine.

He further questioned Zelensky's commitment to ending the conflict without offering any substantiation for his assertion, asserting that he was more concerned with preventing further loss of life.