--- title: "Rubio Confirms Talks on Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping Summit and Warns of Escalation Risks" description: "US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in Samarkand that talks were held regarding a summit between Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping, but no final decision has been made. According to WSJ, Trump did not agree to the meeting. Rubio warned of the risks of war escalation." date: 2026-10-19T09:18:15.102Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/rubio-confirms-talks-on-trump-putin-xi-summit tags: [mark-rubio, donald-trump, vladimir-putin, xi-jinping, ukraine-war, apec-summit, us-foreign-policy] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Rubio Confirms Talks on Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping Summit and Warns of Escalation Risks ![US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking to journalists and gesturing](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/19/rubio-podtverdil-peregovory-o-sammite-trampa-putina-i-si/rubio-podtverdil-peregovory-o-sammite-trampa-putina-i-si-1.webp) ## Key Points - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in Samarkand that talks were held regarding a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping, but no final decision has been made. - According to The Wall Street Journal, the Kremlin proposed a meeting next month, but Trump did not agree to it; whether the summit will take place remains unclear. - Rubio stated that the US sees 'many negative consequences' in the war and a real risk of escalation and spread of the conflict to other countries. - Russia proposes holding a trilateral summit with the US and China in November; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not planned to be invited. On October 19 in Samarkand, during a Central Asia tour in the C5+1 format, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented to journalists on rumors regarding a potential trilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which reportedly could discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Rubio's statement, made amid ongoing diplomatic contacts, became one of the most high-profile of his trip and was reported by Reuters. ### "There Were Talks About Such a Meeting" Responding to a direct question about the summit, Rubio did not deny the fact of negotiations. "There were talks about such a meeting. I don't know if it has been finally agreed upon yet, but the president has made it clear. He would like the war between Ukraine and Russia to end," the Secretary of State stated. Thus, Washington confirmed for the first time at such a high level that the trilateral format initiative was on the White House's radar, while neither confirming nor denying the final coordination of date and location. ### The Wall Street Journal Version Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Kremlin chief proposed meeting with Trump and Xi Jinping next month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. According to the newspaper, Trump did not agree to such a meeting. Whether such a summit will take place remained unclear at the time of Rubio's statement. This information aligns with the Secretary of State's wording that no final decision has been made yet. ### Escalation Risks and "Nothing Good" Commenting on the conflict itself, Rubio stressed that the US sees "nothing good in this war." According to him, it has "many negative consequences, including a very real risk of escalation and the spread of the conflict to another country." The Secretary of State explained that such a risk could arise "due to a failed sabotage attack or because drones, affected by electronic warfare, enter the territory of a neighboring country." ### Who Will Attend the Summit and Who Won't Be Invited As media outlets recall, Russia is proposing to hold a trilateral summit with the US and China in November to negotiate an end to the war. At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not planned to be invited to the meeting, which underlines the limited composition of the proposed format and raises questions about how Kyiv's position will be taken into account in any potential settlement. ### Context: Positions of the Parties On the Russian side, the possibility of a meeting was also not denied: according to reports, Moscow stated that a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit was possible, but no final decision had been made yet. Thus, as of October 19, 2026, all public statements — both American and Russian — agree that the summit is under discussion and not officially finalized. The only thing the parties' formulations differ on is the assessment of whether the meeting is agreed upon in principle: according to The Wall Street Journal, Trump did not consent to it, whereas Washington emphasizes only the fact of "talks." ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Встреча Трампа, Путина и Си Цзиньпина действительно обсуждали, - Рубио](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zustrich-trampa-putina-i-si-tszinpina-spravdi-1792400615.html) - Primary source; Rubio's quote and WSJ data match the basis of the article. - [Встреча Трампа, Си и Путина – Рубио прокомментировал, действительно ли планируются такие ...](https://informator.ua/ru/vstrecha-trampa-si-i-putina-rubio-prokommentiroval-deystvitelno-li-planiruyutsya-takie-peregovory-po-ukraine) - Confirms Rubio's statement on October 19 in Samarkand in the C5+1 format, reported by Reuters. - [МИД РФ: решения о встрече Путина, Трампа и Си Цзиньпина на саммите АТЭС еще нет](https://tass.ru/politika/28150877) - Context: the Russian side stated that there was no final decision (data from September 25). - [Песков: Встреча Путина, Си Цзиньпина и Трампа на саммите АТЭС возможна](https://life.ru/p/peskov-vstrecha-putina-si-tszinpina-i-trampa-na-sammite-ates-vozmozhna) - Context: Moscow did not deny the possibility of a meeting, but there was no decision. ## FAQ ### Did Rubio confirm that the meeting was discussed? Yes. The US Secretary of State stated that "there were talks about such a meeting," but does not know if it is finally agreed. ### Did Trump agree to the meeting according to WSJ? According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump did not agree to the meeting proposed by the Kremlin; whether the summit will take place is still unclear. ### Will Volodymyr Zelenskyy attend the summit? No. The Ukrainian president is not planned to be invited; the format involves the participation of the US, Russia, and China. ### What escalation risks did Rubio mention? He pointed to the real risk of the conflict spreading to another country due to a failed sabotage attack or drones entering a neighboring country's territory after being affected by electronic warfare.