Trump says ready to meet with Putin and Xi in China

US President Donald Trump has stated he is prepared to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China next month, according to the Kremlin. The summit at an Asia-Pacific meeting in Shenzhen next month is reportedly being considered following a Wall Street Journal report. Trump indicated the focus of the meeting would be denuclearisation, while also noting the potential inclusion of the Ukraine war.

He went on to criticize Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying it was "time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine." Trump defended his recent decision to waive new sanctions on Moscow, which has created a rift with Kyiv. The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia, China, and the US are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) group, of which the summit is part.

However, Peskov added that no substantive proposals or agreements have been discussed. Ukrainian foreign minister Andriy Sybiga dismissed the idea of a meeting without Kyiv, insisting Vladimir Putin is not a global leader and is a war criminal.