Trump, Xi and Putin May Hold Three-Way Meeting in China Next Month

The Kremlin said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could hold a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of next month's APEC summit in China. Kremlin officials confirmed that the possibility had been raised during discussions, although no concrete proposals or agreements had been reached.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was responding to a Wall Street Journal report claiming that Putin had proposed the meeting to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine.

"Given that all three heads of state may potentially take part in the summit in China, the subject of such a hypothetical meeting was indeed raised," Peskov said. However, he stressed that no specific proposals had been made regarding the meeting or its potential agenda.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticised the idea, arguing that a summit involving Russia, China and the United States could prolong the conflict rather than help bring it to an end.

"A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, the US, and Russia could help end the war sooner. A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China, and the US would do only the opposite: encourage Putin to continue this war," Sybiha wrote on X.

Peskov also said Washington was continuing its mediation efforts to resolve the conflict, adding that Moscow appreciated the US initiative. He acknowledged that Ukraine would have to participate in any final peace agreement.

"Of course, a final settlement is impossible without the participation of someone in Kyiv who is prepared to take responsibility," he said.

The last round of US-mediated peace talks took place in February, before the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran. Despite diplomatic efforts, Russia and Ukraine remain deeply divided over the terms of a potential peace agreement.