The Kremlin said on Nov. 3 that preparations were underway for a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this month, and expressed hope that arrangements could be finalized within days.
The three leaders could meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for Nov. 18–19 in Shenzhen, China.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was a general understanding among the potential participants that such a meeting would be useful.
“We hope it will be finalized in the coming days,” Peskov told reporters, according to Interfax, a Russian news agency.
In a separate interview, Peskov said the three countries were exchanging diplomatic messages about their willingness to meet and discussing a possible agenda. He said China, as the host country, would take the lead in organizing the meeting.
Trump Favors Nuclear Arms Talks
Trump said on Oct. 19 that he had not agreed to a three-way meeting but would participate if Xi wanted one.
“We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearization,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. He said other subjects, including trade, could also be discussed.
On Oct. 28, Trump said he already had a meeting scheduled with Xi and that nuclear disarmament would be among the subjects discussed. He also expressed willingness to meet with Putin without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy present, provided Ukraine was included in discussions about ending the war.
Xi Rejects Ukraine Summit Proposal
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he raised reports of a possible U.S.–Russia–China meeting on Ukraine directly with Xi during their Oct. 30 talks in Beijing.
In an interview with German public broadcaster ARD published Nov. 1, Steinmeier said Xi appeared surprised by the reports and rejected suggestions that a summit on Ukraine was being prepared.
According to Steinmeier, Xi said the three leaders would probably hold talks during the APEC summit, but that Ukraine was not intended to be the subject of those discussions.
Xi also said Europeans would need to participate in any negotiations over a peace settlement because the war was a European conflict, according to the German president.
Beijing’s official account of the Oct. 30 meeting confirmed that Xi and Steinmeier held talks but did not disclose their exchange about Ukraine or the possible three-way meeting.
Ukraine Peace Talks Move Forward Separately
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had already objected to the proposed Trump–Putin–Xi meeting on the Ukraine war. On Oct. 19, he said talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States could help end the war sooner, while replacing Ukraine with China would encourage Putin to continue fighting.
Separate negotiations on the Ukraine war are scheduled for Nov. 10–11 in Abu Dhabi, bringing together representatives of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.
Peskov confirmed the dates on Nov. 3, saying Russia would send a delegation. The United States is expected to mediate the talks, which will address security guarantees and other issues related to ending the war.
Peskov said European representatives would not participate because the agreed format was limited to Russia and Ukraine, with U.S. mediation.
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