Trump Says He Is Open to Meeting Putin and Xi Jinping in China
Political
US President Donald Trump said he was willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China next month. He said nuclear disarmament would be the main focus of any talks, although the war in Ukraine could also be discussed. Trump also renewed his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying it was time for someone else to negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf.
The meeting could take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for 18–19 November in Shenzhen. Trump confirmed reports that a three-way meeting was possible, stressing that its primary purpose would be to discuss nuclear weapons. Asked about Ukraine, he said he would do “everything in his power to end the war”.
The US president said Ukraine would not be his main reason for meeting Putin and Xi. “Russia, frankly, is behaving normally toward Ukraine. They’re not doing much of anything,” Trump said.
The Kremlin confirmed that the possibility of such a meeting had been mentioned. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said no substantive proposals or agreements had been made regarding either the meeting itself or its potential agenda. He added that a final settlement would be impossible without a representative from Kyiv who was prepared to take responsibility.
Beijing said it had no information about the proposed talks. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said she was unaware of any details concerning a possible meeting.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha strongly criticised the idea of talks without Ukraine’s participation. He argued that a three-way meeting would have the opposite effect by encouraging Putin to continue the war. In a social media post, Sybiha also called the Russian president a war criminal.
Trump, meanwhile, continued his criticism of Zelenskyy. Responding to a question about the Ukrainian leader’s position, the US president said: “Zelenskyy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. And frankly, I think it’s time to get somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.”
Putin has previously ruled out meeting Zelenskyy before a final peace agreement is prepared. Moscow has also questioned the Ukrainian president’s authority to sign such a document following the expiry of his five-year term under martial law. For now, a three-way meeting remains a possibility rather than a confirmed arrangement.
The US president said Ukraine would not be his main reason for meeting Putin and Xi. “Russia, frankly, is behaving normally toward Ukraine. They’re not doing much of anything,” Trump said.
The Kremlin confirmed that the possibility of such a meeting had been mentioned. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said no substantive proposals or agreements had been made regarding either the meeting itself or its potential agenda. He added that a final settlement would be impossible without a representative from Kyiv who was prepared to take responsibility.
Beijing said it had no information about the proposed talks. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said she was unaware of any details concerning a possible meeting.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha strongly criticised the idea of talks without Ukraine’s participation. He argued that a three-way meeting would have the opposite effect by encouraging Putin to continue the war. In a social media post, Sybiha also called the Russian president a war criminal.
Trump, meanwhile, continued his criticism of Zelenskyy. Responding to a question about the Ukrainian leader’s position, the US president said: “Zelenskyy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. And frankly, I think it’s time to get somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.”
Putin has previously ruled out meeting Zelenskyy before a final peace agreement is prepared. Moscow has also questioned the Ukrainian president’s authority to sign such a document following the expiry of his five-year term under martial law. For now, a three-way meeting remains a possibility rather than a confirmed arrangement.
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