Putin floats three-way summit with Trump and Xi on Ukraine, without Zelensky
According to The Wall Street Journal, Putin has proposed meeting Trump and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, without Zelensky.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed meeting US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported exclusively on October 18, citing people familiar with the discussions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would not take part in the proposed format, a move the paper said would be expected to alarm many European countries.
Kremlin suggests meeting at APEC
According to the WSJ, the Kremlin has suggested the three leaders meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, on November 18–19. A former Russian intelligence officer told the paper that Putin first raised the idea in his October 9 phone call with Trump, the same call in which the two leaders agreed that the US would buy Russian diesel fuel and help sell it.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a possible meeting is being discussed. "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," he told the WSJ.
A senior US official told the WSJ that Trump has not agreed to the meeting but may be receptive to the idea because he wants to end the war. Neither the White House nor the Chinese Embassy in Washington commented on the report. According to the paper, Chinese officials are concerned that such a meeting could overshadow China's role in the region at APEC.
Sanctions delay and the Trump–Zelensky clash
The report came after Trump suspended sanctions on Russia and tariffs on its goods days before they were due to take effect. According to iKon.mn, the sanctions have not been lifted; their enforcement has been delayed for up to 60 days. The Jerusalem Post reported that on Saturday Zelensky said the decision will embolden Moscow to keep attacking Ukraine. On Sunday Trump wrote on Truth Social that Zelensky "doesn't want to end this war" and called on him to stop attacking Russian diesel refineries.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal, The Jerusalem Post, Anadolu, iKon.mn
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