Putin proposes Ukraine peace summit with Trump and Xi, excluding Zelensky

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a summit next month with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine under terms favorable to Moscow, according to the Wall Street Journal. The proposal reportedly excludes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Citing a former Russian intelligence official, the WSJ reported Putin made the offer during a phone call with Trump on October 9, during which an agreement was reached on supplying Russian diesel to American and international markets. The newspaper noted such a summit without Zelensky would alarm European leaders. Trump defended his decision to suspend sanctions on Russia, saying he wants to keep Moscow at the negotiating table. He accused Zelensky of not wanting to end the war, criticizing Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and stating Kyiv could have secured a better deal two years ago.