Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could meet in China next month. The Kremlin confirmed that officials had discussed a possible three-way meeting during the upcoming APEC summit. However, no agreement has been reached on holding the meeting or setting its agenda.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed the possibility on Monday following a report by The Wall Street Journal. The report said Putin had proposed meeting Trump and Xi to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Peskov confirmed that the idea had come up during discussions but stressed that no formal proposals followed.
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Peskov said all three leaders could potentially attend the summit in China. However, he clarified that officials had not agreed on the meeting’s format, agenda or content. The Kremlin’s statement therefore left the possibility open without confirming any plans.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticised the proposed gathering. He argued that a meeting involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States could help end the war sooner. In contrast, he warned that a meeting between Russia, China and the United States could encourage Putin to continue the conflict.
Meanwhile, Peskov said Washington was continuing its mediation efforts to resolve the war. He added that Russia appreciated the American efforts to help bring the conflict to an end. However, Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on the terms of a possible peace agreement.
The Kremlin spokesman also stressed that Ukraine must participate in any final settlement. He said an agreement would require someone in Kyiv willing to accept responsibility for the outcome. His remarks indicated that discussions among major powers alone would not complete a peace deal.
The last US-mediated peace talks took place in February, before the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran. Russia and Ukraine have yet to bridge their differences over possible peace terms. Whether Putin, Trump and Xi will meet during next month’s APEC summit remains uncertain.