Putin's Proposal: Three-Leader Summit Without Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that he, United States President Donald Trump, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet next month to discuss a deal to end the four-year-old Ukraine conflict on terms favorable to Moscow. The news was reported by The Wall Street Journal on Sunday (Oct. 18, 2026), citing people familiar with the discussions.

The plan reflects Putin's efforts to capitalize on warming relations with Trump, a development that has unnerved Ukraine as well as its allies in Washington and Europe. Such a summit excluding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would establish an unprecedented precedent and trigger alarms across European capitals.

According to sources cited by the WSJ, Putin floated the idea during an Oct. 9 phone call with Trump. That same call also yielded an agreement for the US to purchase Russian diesel and facilitate its sale on global markets.

Kremlin Confirms, Shenzhen APEC Eyed as Potential Venue

The Kremlin suggested holding the trilateral talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for Nov. 18-19 in Shenzhen, a southern Chinese tech hub.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to the WSJ that discussions regarding such a meeting have indeed taken place. However, he stressed that there is no clear understanding yet of the meeting itself or its potential agenda, though all three parties acknowledge its hypothetical possibility.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington also did not immediately return requests for comment.

Trump Yet to Agree, Zelensky Voice Concerns

A senior US official told the WSJ that Trump has not yet agreed to the proposed summit. However, the official noted the president could be open to the idea, given his desire to fulfill a campaign promise to settle the war—a pledge he claimed would be resolved on day one of his new term, even as he now approaches two years in office.

The backdrop to the proposal is a string of moves by Trump favoring Moscow. On Friday, Trump paused the implementation of sanctions that were due to be imposed on Russia under bipartisan legislation he signed last month. That decision drew sharp rebuke from several lawmakers, including his own allies.

Trump also recently agreed to purchase Russian diesel in a bid to curb surging fuel prices weighing on the US economy ahead of the midterm elections. On Sunday, via a Truth Social post, Trump attacked Zelensky following a Ukrainian strike on an oil terminal in St. Petersburg—Putin's hometown. He accused Zelensky of targeting Russian diesel refineries and claimed the Ukrainian leader does not want the war to end.

According to the WSJ, Putin has floated the trilateral format to Trump and Xi several times in the past. What differs now is that the proposal comes amid Moscow's shifting fortunes in Washington. Russian officials have reportedly conveyed the idea to Beijing through diplomatic channels, and Chinese officials indicated they would not object as long as Trump agrees.

Analysts suggest a three-leader summit without Ukraine would send a powerful signal. Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, noted that China wants to be seen as a pivot among major powers and a potential mediator between the US and Russia. Yet risks loom for Xi: the geopolitical spectacle could overshadow Beijing's plans to use APEC as a showcase for its regional leadership, while stoking fierce blowback from European capitals already wary of Beijing's alignment with Moscow.