Putin proposes trilateral summit with Trump, Xi over Ukraine

Trilateral summit proposal

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a trilateral summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month to discuss ending the Ukraine war on terms favorable to Moscow, raising the idea during an October 9 phone call with Trump, according to The Wall Street Journal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that discussions were underway regarding a possible meeting, though he told the newspaper: "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."

The former Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter said Putin had previously proposed holding a trilateral summit with Trump and Xi on several occasions. A senior US official said Trump had not agreed to the proposed summit but could be open to the idea, given his desire to fulfill his campaign pledge to end the war.

Fuel deal and sanctions relief

The October 9 call also resulted in an agreement for the US to purchase Russian diesel fuel and facilitate its sale on the global market, the report said. Trump recently reached the deal in an effort to lower fuel prices that have weighed on the US economy and hurt Republican prospects ahead of midterm elections.

On Friday, Trump suspended the implementation of sanctions against Russia under a bipartisan bill he signed last month. The diesel purchase agreement marks a significant shift in Washington's energy policy toward Moscow.

APEC venue and strategic concerns

According to people familiar with the discussions, the Kremlin has proposed holding the trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for November 18-19 in Shenzhen, China. Russian officials raised the proposal with Beijing through diplomatic channels, and China indicated that it would not oppose the idea if Trump agreed, according to people familiar with recent discussions between Moscow and Beijing.

The former intelligence officer said Putin has ambitious though potentially unrealistic goals for the trilateral format, envisioning it as a second Yalta summit that would divide the world into spheres of influence. Some people familiar with the discussions said Chinese officials were concerned that such a geopolitical sideshow could overshadow Beijing’s plans to use the APEC summit to highlight China’s role in the region, as Xi seeks to balance continued support for Putin with the need to maintain China’s economic ties with Europe.