Putin Seeks Trump-Xi Summit to Discuss Ukraine War and Global Power Balance

By Staff, Agencies

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month to discuss the war in Ukraine and explore a potential settlement on terms favorable to Moscow, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper reported that Putin raised the proposal during a phone conversation with Trump on October 9, citing a former Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter.

According to the report, the conversation also resulted in an agreement for the United States to purchase Russian diesel fuel and facilitate its sale on international markets.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that discussions were underway regarding the possibility of a trilateral meeting, although he cautioned that no firm decisions had been made concerning the summit or its agenda.

“There is no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting taking place,” Peskov told the newspaper.

A senior US official said Trump had not agreed to the proposed summit but could consider the idea as he seeks to fulfill his campaign pledge to bring the conflict in Ukraine to an end.

According to people familiar with the discussions, Moscow has suggested holding the meeting on the sidelines of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation [APEC] summit, scheduled for November 18–19 in Shenzhen, China.

Russian officials reportedly conveyed the proposal to Beijing through diplomatic channels. Chinese officials indicated that they would not oppose the meeting if Trump agreed to participate, according to people familiar with the exchanges.

The former Russian intelligence officer cited by the newspaper said Putin had previously proposed a trilateral summit with Trump and Xi on several occasions.

The report also linked the diplomatic developments to Trump’s recent decision to pursue purchases of Russian diesel fuel, an arrangement intended to help reduce fuel prices that have placed pressure on the US economy and complicated Republican prospects ahead of the midterm elections.

On Friday, Trump also suspended the implementation of sanctions against Russia under a bipartisan bill he had signed the previous month.

According to the former intelligence officer, Putin has ambitious goals for the proposed trilateral format, potentially envisioning it as a modern version of the 1945 Yalta Conference, at which the Allied powers discussed the postwar international order. The source suggested that Putin could seek an arrangement that would divide global influence into distinct spheres of power, although the report noted that such ambitions might prove unrealistic.

Meanwhile, some people familiar with the discussions said Chinese officials were concerned that a high-profile geopolitical meeting could overshadow Beijing’s objectives for the APEC summit, which it intends to use to showcase China’s regional influence and diplomatic role.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is also seeking to balance Beijing’s continued strategic partnership with Moscow against the importance of maintaining China’s extensive economic relations with Europe, according to the report.

If the proposed summit proceeds, it could provide a significant diplomatic platform for Washington, Moscow, and Beijing to discuss the Ukraine conflict and broader international relations. However, with no agreement yet confirmed by the three governments, the meeting remains a possibility rather than a finalized diplomatic initiative.