Putin proposes a summit with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to discuss ending the war in Ukraine (WSJ)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed holding a summit next month with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to negotiate ending the war in Ukraine on terms favorable to Moscow, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cites sources familiar with the discussions.

The proposal was reportedly made during a phone call between Putin and Trump held on October 9. The discussion was followed by an agreement on the purchase of Russian diesel fuel and an executive order signed by Trump lifting major sanctions imposed on Russia.

According to the WSJ report, the Kremlin suggested that the trilateral meeting take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, China.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that discussions were underway regarding a possible meeting, but specified that neither the summit nor its agenda had been set. A U.S. official told the publication that Trump had not accepted the proposal, although he might be open to the idea.

The White House, the Kremlin, and the Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington did not immediately provide comments to Reuters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the rapprochement between Trump and Putin, warning that lifting the sanctions and the agreement on diesel fuel could encourage the Russian leader and prolong the war.