Putin Proposes Trump-Xi Meeting: Could Ukraine’s Future Be Discussed Without Kyiv?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly proposed a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of next month’s APEC summit in China. The Kremlin has confirmed that the possibility was discussed, but no formal agreement or agenda has been announced. Trump has expressed openness to a meeting, saying nuclear weapons and denuclearisation could be the focus. Ukraine’s exclusion from any initial discussion has raised concerns about who gets to shape the terms of a possible peace settlement. Could such talks open a path to peace and nuclear negotiations—or leave countries most affected by the decisions with less say in their own future?