Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested organizing a summit next month with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the conflict in Ukraine, as reported by sources familiar with the matter.
This proposed summit comes amid improving relations between Trump and Putin, particularly after Trump announced a deal for diesel imports from Russia and signed an executive order lifting key sanctions imposed on Moscow.
The Wall Street Journal cited a former Russian intelligence officer, noting that Putin’s suggestion was made during a phone call with Trump on October 9, which also resulted in the diesel agreement between the two nations.
The White House did not respond immediately to requests for comment, and the Kremlin could not be reached outside of normal working hours.
The Kremlin has proposed that the trilateral dialogue take place on the sidelines of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, as stated in the WSJ article, which quoted sources familiar with the discussions.
This summit is scheduled to occur from November 18 to 19 in Shenzhen.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed to the American newspaper that discussions regarding a potential meeting are ongoing.
“There is not yet a clear understanding regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three parties recognize the hypothetical possibility that such a meeting could occur,” Peskov commented.
An American official stated that Trump has not confirmed the idea of this summit but may be open to the concept.
Trump’s agreement with Putin regarding diesel and the executive order lifting sanctions have drawn criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who warned that this could embolden Putin and prolong the war.
Compounding tensions, Trump blocked sanctions against Russia just before they were set to take effect.
Zelensky expressed that Trump’s actions would encourage Russia to continue its attacks on Ukraine. However, in Moscow, a senior adviser to Putin described the situation as “a historic moment.”
