---
title: "White House: Ukraine Will Not Be on the Agenda of Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping Summit in Shenzhen"
description: "The White House confirmed that on November 19 in Shenzhen, Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping will discuss nuclear arms reduction, but not the war in Ukraine. A separate meeting between Trump and Putin is not planned."
date: 2026-11-14T13:31:18.816Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/trump-putin-xi-shenzhen-summit-ukraine-excluded
tags: [trump, putin, xi-jinping, shenzhen, apec, nuclear-arms, ukraine, white-house, space-x]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# White House: Ukraine Will Not Be on the Agenda of Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping Summit in Shenzhen

![Donald Trump and Xi Jinping walking at the head of a delegation outdoors](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/14/trump-putin-xi-shenzhen-summit-ukraine-excluded/trump-putin-xi-shenzhen-summit-ukraine-excluded-1.webp)

## Key Points

- The White House confirmed: the issue of the war in Ukraine will not be discussed at the trilateral summit on November 19 in Shenzhen
- The central theme of the meeting is nuclear arms reduction, which Trump considers a serious threat
- A separate bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin is not planned; discussions on Starlink are also excluded
- Elon Musk is accompanying Trump to China but is not participating in the negotiations
- The summit was previously under threat of disruption due to US-China disagreements over the format

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.

## Accounts differ

### Whether Ukraine will be on the agenda of the trilateral summit

- **White House (USA):** The issue of the war in Ukraine will not be raised at the meeting because China is not part of the Ukrainian negotiation track, and bilateral contacts between the US and Russia on this topic are already underway. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/bilomu-domi-rozkrili-chi-govoritimut-tramp-1794660792.html))
- **China (Beijing):** Discussing Ukraine is permissible if this issue is added to the meeting's agenda in advance. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/bilomu-domi-rozkrili-chi-govoritimut-tramp-1794660792.html))
- **Media (reports on Putin's intentions):** Vladimir Putin intends to use the summit venue to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/bilomu-domi-rozkrili-chi-govoritimut-tramp-1794660792.html))

*Where they agree:* The meeting of the three leaders on November 19 in Shenzhen will take place — this was confirmed by the White House on November 14.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [В Белом доме раскрыли, будут ли Трамп, Путин и Си Цзиньпин говорить об Украине](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/bilomu-domi-rozkrili-chi-govoritimut-tramp-1794660792.html) - Primary source. All key facts (agenda, Wales quote, format, Musk's role, background of disruption) are taken from this text.
- [Трамп анонсировал трехсторонние переговоры по Украине в ближайшее время](https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/9060223) - Relates to a different track (RU-UA-US), does not contradict the main article. Used as context for parallel negotiations.
- [Мелания Трамп приняла в Белом доме представителей России и Украины](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B2-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B5/20261105-%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BF-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8F%D0%BB%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BC-%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B9-%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%B8-%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8B) - Confirms the context of the parallel diplomatic track (November 5). Used in the final paragraph of the article.
- [Трамп, Путин и Си могут встретиться для переговоров по Украине: Рубио раскрыл детали](https://www.unian.net/world/tramp-putin-i-si-czinpin-mogut-vstretitsya-rubio-rasskazal-o-chem-oni-budut-govorit-13533006.html) - Brief description contains no new facts relevant to this article. Not used in the text.

## FAQ

### Will the war in Ukraine be discussed at the Shenzhen summit?

No. The White House officially confirmed that the issue of the war in Ukraine will not be raised at the trilateral meeting on November 19. An administration official explained this by stating that China is not involved in the Ukrainian negotiation track, and bilateral meetings between the US and Russia on this topic are already actively taking place.

### What exactly does Trump intend to discuss with Putin and Xi Jinping?

According to White House spokesperson Olivia Wales, the central issue will be nuclear arms reduction. The US president considers the proliferation of nuclear weapons to be "very dangerous" and intends to bring up this topic at the meeting.

### Will there be a separate meeting between Trump and Putin?

No, a separate bilateral meeting is not planned. Discussions regarding Ukraine's access to Starlink satellite communications are also not expected.

### Is Elon Musk participating in the negotiations?

Elon Musk will accompany Trump during his trip to China, however, he will not participate in the US president's negotiations with the leaders of Russia and the PRC.

### When and where will the summit take place?

The trilateral meeting is scheduled for November 19, 2026, in Shenzhen, China, on the sidelines of the APEC summit. On November 14, the White House confirmed that the meeting will take place.