Putin proposed that Trump and Xi decide Ukraine’s fate without Ukraine or Europe — WSJ

President of Russia Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral summit to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, but without Ukrainian or European representatives. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with discussions of the initiative, Moscow hopes to secure agreements on terms favorable to the Kremlin through these talks.

The Russian president proposes inviting:

• U.S. President Donald Trump;
• Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

According to the publication, the proposal was made during a phone call between Putin and Trump on October 9. A former Russian intelligence officer claims that during the same conversation, the two sides agreed on the purchase of Russian diesel fuel by the United States and on facilitating its sale in international markets.

The Chinese city of Shenzhen has been mentioned as a possible summit venue. The meeting could take place on November 18–19, when the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is scheduled to be held there.

The Russian president’s spokesperson confirmed to the publication that the possibility of such talks is being discussed:

“There is no clear understanding yet about the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three parties recognize the hypothetical possibility of holding such a meeting,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Washington has also not confirmed its agreement to the summit. A senior U.S. official told WSJ that Trump has not yet accepted Putin’s proposal. The source added, however, that the initiative could interest the U.S. president, who has repeatedly said he intends to bring the Russian-Ukrainian war to an end.

According to journalists, Russian diplomats have already passed the proposal on to Beijing. The Chinese side indicated that it would not oppose a trilateral meeting if Trump supported it. Holding the talks on Chinese territory, the publication notes, could strengthen Xi Jinping’s international standing as he seeks to expand Beijing’s diplomatic influence.

However, WSJ sources link Moscow’s plan to more than just the war. In their assessment, the Kremlin sees this format as an opportunity to discuss the most important international issues at the level of Russia, the United States, and China, excluding European states from the negotiations.

A former Russian intelligence officer claims that Putin is hoping for far-reaching agreements that go beyond ending the war in Ukraine. According to this source, the Russian president imagines the meeting as a kind of repeat of the 1945 Yalta Conference, where the leaders of the USSR, the United States, and Great Britain discussed the postwar order in Europe. The source describes these ambitions as sweeping but unrealistic: in effect, it is an attempt to divide global influence among the major powers.

The initiative also poses risks for China. According to WSJ, Chinese officials fear that discussing the war could distract from APEC’s main agenda, as the country wants to demonstrate its influence in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, Xi Jinping’s participation in such a meeting could provoke a negative reaction from European states and increase pressure on Beijing over its relationship with Russia.

For now, the summit remains only a proposal under discussion. There is no official confirmation that all participants have agreed, no approved agenda, and no specific agreements on Ukraine.

We previously reported:

• Yushchenko warns Trump against trading diesel with Russia
• Peace at the cost of Donbas? U.S. preparing new plan to end the war, with security guarantees and economic agreements
• Diesel as a path to negotiations: U.S. bets on a deal, Kyiv remains skeptical
• Putin has no plans for peace talks without capturing the rest of Donbas — Reuters
• Putin sets demands on language and church while assessing Trump’s peace proposals