Putin proposes trilateral summit with US and China on Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss the war in Ukraine, excluding Kyiv and the EU. The meeting could occur on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19. The Kremlin seeks a format that recognizes Russian interests, including territorial concessions from Ukraine, while Washington has intensified diplomatic pressure on Kyiv and offered Moscow incentives like a "diesel deal" and temporary sanctions relief. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned the format signals Putin's exit from isolation, while China has not objected but analysts say Beijing is unlikely to take responsibility for Ukraine's future. Experts are divided on China's motives, with some suggesting Beijing aims to weaken NATO and transatlantic unity, while others believe the trilateral format serves as a signal for China to engage with Europe. Ukraine's foreign minister warned the meeting would encourage Putin to continue the war.