The Kremlin has stated it does not rule out a trilateral meeting in November between the leaders of Russia, the US, and China — Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Xi Jinping — on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. According to RBC-Ukraine, Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov announced this in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. He stated that currently "there is no clear understanding of the meeting itself or its potential agenda," although, as he noted, all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such contact.
Format and Agenda: Without Ukraine
A key detail of the proposed format is that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not planned to be invited to such a meeting. Thus, discussions related to ending the war, according to Moscow's design, would be conducted within a narrow circle of the three powers — Russia, the US, and the PRC. Peskov emphasized that it is not yet known how closely the leaders' schedules will align or what topics might be put on the agenda, but in his assessment, all parties agree that such a meeting "would be very useful."
APEC Context: Initiative Must Come from Beijing
The 2026 APEC summit is scheduled for November 18–19 in Shenzhen, China (Guangdong Province). Earlier, Peskov called a potential meeting of Putin, Trump, and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of this event useful. Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov clarified in early October that the initiative to hold negotiations should come from China if Trump confirms his participation in the summit. In the Kremlin, the idea of such a meeting was described as "very interesting," while noting that it has not yet been elaborated and, in Ushakov's words, "is in the air."
Washington's Position: Sanctions Freeze and Shifting Responsibility
Against the backdrop of these statements, Trump, according to the publication, is demonstratively avoiding pressure on Moscow: he froze the sanctions bill against Russia, explaining this by his reluctance to alienate the Kremlin from negotiations. At the same time, according to the same information, the US president is shifting responsibility for prolonging the war onto Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Such an approach, according to Ukrainian observers, reduces external pressure on Russia and changes the dynamics of the negotiation process.
Kyiv's Reaction: "Attempt to Compel Capitulation"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in turn, stated that Washington's steps look like an attempt to compel Ukraine to capitulate. According to him, Trump has good relations with Putin, but the US president cannot yet force the Russian leader to end the war. Thus, sharp polemics are forming around the possible trilateral summit: Moscow and Beijing view it as a settlement tool, while Kyiv warns against the exclusion of Ukraine from key decisions regarding its own future.
