Putin proposes trilateral summit with Trump and Xi to end Ukraine war
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral summit next month with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict in terms favorable to Moscow, according to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal. The proposed summit follows improving Trump-Putin relations, including a reported oil purchase deal and Trump's Friday executive order easing key sanctions on Russia, Reuters noted. Putin made the suggestion during his October 9 phone call with Trump, which also led to the oil agreement. The Kremlin suggested holding the trilateral dialogue on the sidelines of the upcoming APEC summit scheduled for November 18-19 in Shenzhen. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov confirmed discussions about a potential meeting, though no clear agreement exists yet. A senior US official said Trump hasn't confirmed the idea but might be open to it. Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky criticized Trump's moves, warning they would encourage Putin and prolong the war.