Putin proposes trilateral summit with Trump and Xi, excluding Zelensky

According to The Wall Street Journal, Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed to Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping that they hold a trilateral meeting in November to discuss ending the war in Ukraine — without the participation of Vladimir Zelensky.

According to the publication, Putin put forward the idea of a trilateral summit during a phone call with Trump on October 9. On the same day, the parties agreed on the supply of Russian diesel fuel to global and American markets.

The Kremlin proposed holding the talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for November 18–19 in the Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the parties are discussing the possibility of such a meeting, but stressed that no agreements have been reached yet. Trump has not yet agreed to participate, but according to the WSJ, he may accept the proposal.

Separately, the United States has already invited the Russian president to the December G20 summit in Miami, where Zelensky may also be invited. The Kremlin has not yet responded as to whether Putin will accept that invitation.

Earlier, a number of media outlets reported that Trump considers Zelensky the main obstacle to peace in Ukraine.