Putin proposes trilateral summit with Trump and Xi on Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month to negotiate the Ukraine conflict, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The proposal aims to secure a peace deal favorable to Moscow and has raised concerns in Ukraine and among European allies. Putin initially raised the idea during an October 9 phone call with Trump, which also included an agreement allowing US purchases of Russian diesel fuel. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed discussions are underway, while a senior US official said Trump has not formally agreed but may be open to the proposal. The Kremlin suggested hosting talks alongside the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19. Trump has claimed negotiations are making great progress and defended his approach, saying he won't drive Russia from the bargaining table. Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov confirmed the two leaders had a substantive conversation and could meet at the APEC summit. Xi recently visited the US in September, and China has signaled it would not object to the trilateral meeting if Trump participates.