US President Signals Readiness for Talks on Nuclear Weapons as Ukraine War Threatens to Overshadow Meeting
United States President Donald Trump has expressed willingness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China next month, raising the prospect of a high-stakes diplomatic summit involving three of the world’s most powerful leaders.
Trump said the proposed meeting would primarily focus on nuclear weapons and denuclearisation, although discussions could also address Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
The possibility of a trilateral meeting emerged on Monday after the Kremlin confirmed that the idea had been raised in discussions, while stressing that no formal agreement or detailed agenda had been established.
The talks could take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, southern China.
Speaking to reporters, Trump played down the prospect of making the Ukraine conflict the central focus of the meeting, saying he would be willing to participate largely to discuss nuclear weapons.
“We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearisation,” Trump said.
However, he added that he would do whatever he could to help bring the war in Ukraine to an end.
Putin’s Proposal Raises Questions Over Ukraine
The proposed summit follows reports that Putin had suggested a three-way meeting with Trump and Xi to discuss a possible settlement to the Ukraine war on terms favourable to Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the possibility had been discussed but emphasised that no substantive proposals or agreements had been reached.
He also maintained that any final settlement to the conflict would require the participation of Ukraine.
The prospect of the three leaders meeting without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has, however, sparked concern in Kyiv.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha warned that a meeting involving Washington, Moscow and Beijing without Ukraine could undermine efforts to end the conflict.
He argued that talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia could help accelerate a peaceful resolution, while a summit excluding Kyiv could encourage Moscow to continue its military campaign.
Ukraine has repeatedly insisted that it must be directly involved in negotiations concerning its future.
China Yet to Confirm Meeting
China has yet to publicly confirm whether it would participate in the proposed trilateral meeting.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Beijing had no information about the reported arrangement, leaving uncertainty over whether the discussions would proceed.
The potential summit comes amid renewed diplomatic manoeuvring by Washington and Moscow, including a reported agreement involving Russian diesel supplies and a US decision to waive certain sanctions on Russia.
The developments have drawn criticism from Kyiv, which fears that easing pressure on Moscow could strengthen Russia’s position in the war.
Trump has also renewed his criticism of Zelensky, suggesting that a different representative should negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the proposed meeting, the prospect of Trump, Putin and Xi sitting at the same table has raised expectations of significant discussions on nuclear security, international trade and the future of the Ukraine conflict.
Whether the proposed summit will materialise remains unclear, with no final agreement on the meeting or its agenda announced.
