Putin proposes trilateral summit with Trump and Xi on Ukraine, shuns Zelensky

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month to negotiate an end to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to American media reports. The proposal was reportedly made during an October 9 phone call between Putin and Trump, which also included a controversial agreement on Russian diesel fuel supplies. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the Kremlin suggested holding the meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed negotiations are ongoing but no agreement has been reached on the meeting or its agenda. A senior US official said Trump has not yet agreed to participate but may view the initiative favorably, with no indication Ukraine would be involved. The proposal comes as Trump works to renew dialogue with Moscow, having lifted sanctions and tariffs against Russia on October 16, days before they were set to take effect. Trump has also urged Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, reportedly threatening to cut intelligence sharing and weapons supplies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that easing pressure on Moscow risks prolonging the war, citing a recent attack involving 16 ballistic missiles and over 200 drones that left 550,000 households without power.