President Donald Trump said Monday that he was open to a three-way meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China.
The proposal emerged after the Kremlin said the idea had been discussed in talks with Washington. The APEC summit is scheduled for Nov. 18-19, but no agreement had been reached on the meeting or its agenda, and China had not publicly committed to the proposed format. Trump said he would participate if Xi wanted the meeting.
The possible summit has also raised the question of whether Ukraine would be represented in discussions about its own war. Asked whether he would negotiate without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump said he would do anything that could help end the conflict and added that it was time for someone else to negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha opposed a Russia-China-U.S. Format, arguing that it could encourage Putin to continue the war.
The proposed gathering would bring the leaders of the United States, Russia and China together in a setting already planned for high-level regional diplomacy. Whether it proceeds depends on further agreement among the three governments, as well as decisions about the agenda and Ukraine’s participation.