On November 14, 2026, the White House officially confirmed that the trilateral meeting between the leaders of the US, Russia, and China, scheduled for November 19 in Shenzhen, will not include discussions on the war in Ukraine. Administration spokesperson Olivia Wales stated in a telephone conversation with journalists that President Donald Trump intends to focus on nuclear arms reduction, which he considers "very dangerous" in terms of the proliferation of such weapons worldwide. According to her, this very issue will be central to the dialogue with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
Negotiation Format and the Role of APEC
The negotiations between the three leaders will take place on the sidelines of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Shenzhen, China. The White House specified that a separate bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin is not planned. Discussions regarding Ukraine's access to Starlink satellite communications, provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX, are also not expected. According to the administration, Musk will accompany the US president during his trip to China, but will not participate in the negotiations with the leaders of Russia and the PRC.
Why Ukraine Is "Inappropriate" for Beijing
Commenting on the exclusion of the Ukrainian issue from the agenda, a White House official explained: "We have had many meetings with the Russians recently, but China is not really part of this track, so discussing the issue of Ukraine there does not seem appropriate." Thus, Washington argues its decision by stating that bilateral contacts with Moscow regarding the Ukrainian settlement are already actively underway, and Beijing is not involved in this negotiation track.
Background: Threat of Disruption Due to Format
The reminder that the summit was on the verge of collapse came in the context of events on November 10. It was then learned that the meeting was under threat due to disagreements between the US and China over the negotiation format: Beijing insisted on a regulated meeting, while Washington preferred a more free-flowing discussion. According to reports, the Chinese side allowed for the possibility of discussing Ukraine if the issue was added to the agenda in advance. Later, media reported that Putin also intended to use the summit venue to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Nevertheless, on November 14, the White House confirmed that the meeting will take place on November 19 in Shenzhen.
Context: Parallel Settlement Tracks
The decision not to raise the Ukrainian topic at the trilateral summit fits into the broader picture of diplomatic contacts conducted in recent weeks. On November 5, First Lady Melania Trump hosted representatives of Russia and Ukraine at the White House and called for a "sustainable" ceasefire. Concurrently, as noted by the White House, Washington held a series of meetings with the Russian side on the Ukrainian track. Thus, according to the logic of the US administration, the Ukrainian settlement is being conducted in a separate bilateral track rather than on a multilateral platform involving China.
