Vladimir Putin proposed a summit with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in November, on the sidelines of the APEC meeting in China

Cristina Petrache

21 October 2026, 13:53

International

Григоров Гавриил / Zuma Press / Profimedia

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Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to White House envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday that a trilateral summit be organized with the presidents of the United States and China, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The meeting could take place in November, on the sidelines of the APEC summit hosted by China.

The proposal was made at the Konstantin Palace in St. Petersburg, where Putin received Witkoff. The Russian leader described such a meeting as possible and thanked Trump for the attention he has devoted to resolving the war in Ukraine. The APEC meeting is scheduled for November 18 and 19 in the Chinese city of Shenzhen.

The idea of a summit between the three leaders had previously been put forward by the Kremlin. Trump recently expressed his willingness to participate, while Beijing has so far offered no public response. The American president said the talks should focus on resuming negotiations on nuclear disarmament, rather than primarily on the situation in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has argued for the need for a new disarmament treaty, while also mentioning the arsenals of France and the United Kingdom. Ukraine and European states have rejected any solution concerning the war and the security of the continent without the participation of Kyiv and its allies.

During the meeting, Putin offered to support Washington in managing the conflict with Iran and said that Russia could take in the enriched uranium held by Tehran. The statements come amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the strengthening of Russian-Iranian relations.

Context: The Kremlin had previously spoken about a trilateral meeting, while the US also had a separate proposal involving Zelensky

Before the proposal to the White House representative, the Kremlin announced that Putin and Trump had spoken by phone on October 9 about a possible trilateral meeting with Xi Jinping, amid negotiations over the war in Ukraine. The discussion was followed by an agreement on the purchase of Russian diesel fuel and an executive order through which Trump lifted important sanctions imposed on Russia, while Zelensky criticized the rapprochement between the two leaders, warning that these measures could encourage Moscow and prolong the conflict.

Separately, CIA Director John Ratcliffe proposed a trilateral meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky, during a visit to Moscow, to resume US-mediated peace negotiations. During the same period, Zelensky remained skeptical about Putin’s intentions, although Ukrainian officials indicated that the talks could resume in September.