Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly proposed a three-way summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month to negotiate an end to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to US media.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned on Monday that such a meeting would only encourage Putin to continue the war, while the European Commission questioned Moscow’s willingness to negotiate an end to the conflict.
“A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, the United States and Russia could help end the war sooner. A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China and the United States would have the opposite effect: encouraging Putin to continue this war,” Sybiha wrote on X.
The proposal was reportedly made during a telephone conversation between Putin and Trump on October 9, which also resulted in a controversial deal regarding Russian diesel exports to the United States and international markets.
Citing people familiar with the discussions, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the Kremlin suggested holding the meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, which will take place on November 18-19.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to the newspaper that discussions were underway, although no agreement has yet been reached on the meeting or its agenda.
A senior U.S. official told the newspaper that Trump had not agreed to attend but might be receptive to the proposal.
There was no indication that Ukraine would participate in the proposed talks.
Putin has repeatedly declined offers to meet Zelensky on neutral ground, insisting that any direct talks between the two leaders would take place in Moscow, a condition that kyiv has rejected.
Kyiv and Brussels contest Putin’s summit plan
Sybiha argued that offering Putin a place alongside the U.S. and Chinese presidents would reward Moscow without forcing it to take significant steps toward peace.
“Inviting Putin to such a meeting would feed his appetite for self-aggrandizement and give him a stature he does not deserve. He is not a world leader; he is a war criminal. And Russia is not a world power; it is a global problem,” he wrote.
“By any pragmatic or moral measure, Putin has no place at the table with Presidents Trump and Xi,” Sybiha said.
He argued that agreeing to a ceasefire before such a meeting could demonstrate a real willingness to negotiate, rather than continuing attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
“As long as he continues to display terror, there should be no place for him at any table,” he added.
The European Commission also questioned Moscow’s desire to end the war, pointing to continued Russian attacks despite the energy ceasefire announced by Trump.
“If Putin wants to end this war, you can stop it today. And the war could end today,” a Commission spokesperson said on Monday.
The spokesperson also recalled the conclusions of the last European Council summit, stressing that Europe had a key role to play in any future settlement and that it would defend its interests.
The prospect of such a meeting comes as Trump seeks to restart negotiations with Moscow, arguing that imposing more economic pressure on Russia could undermine efforts to end the war.
“My decision regarding Russia is very simple,” Trump wrote Sunday on his Truth Social platform.
“I am negotiating peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine and I do not want to do anything that would foolishly push Russia away from the negotiating table. Great progress is being made, including the current hostage negotiations!”
He gave no details of the concessions obtained from Moscow.
Trump defends Russian diesel deal despite growing criticism
Trump’s remarks follow his Oct. 16 decision to lift a series of new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia and countries that trade with it, just days before the measures took effect.
The move comes a week after his agreement with Putin on Russian diesel exports, as Washington seeks to contain soaring fuel prices exacerbated by the war in Iran.
Trump defended the diesel deal by saying Russia had held back from providing more substantial aid to Iran in its conflict with the United States.
“Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what it could do, and I want to keep it that way, and I will, unless stupid people object,” he wrote.
He also praised Moscow for supplying diesel to global markets at discounted prices, describing the deal as helping to ease pressure on international energy supplies.
At the same time, Washington is increasingly pressuring kyiv to suspend its campaign against Russian oil refineries, which Ukraine considers legitimate military targets because of the revenue they generate for Moscow’s war effort.
The Trump administration has even reportedly threatened to suspend intelligence sharing and arms deliveries unless Ukraine stops its strikes.
The dispute has further strained relations between Washington and kyiv, especially as Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.
Zelensky accuses his partners of ignoring the reality of the Russian war
Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that easing pressure on Moscow risked prolonging the war, accusing Russia of rejecting diplomatic efforts to end the conflict while escalating its attacks on Ukraine.
His latest comments follow another nighttime bombardment in which, according to Zelensky, Russian forces launched 16 ballistic missiles at kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as more than 200 drones across the country, including jet variants.
More than ten energy installations were damaged, leaving at least 550,000 homes without electricity, it said. A medical clinic, a school, a metro station and apartment buildings were also damaged.
Zelensky also said Ukraine once again received no advance warning from its partners about the arrival of ballistic missiles.
“Putin not only does not want to end this war, he does not even want to take steps towards de-escalation,” Zelensky wrote on X.
He stressed that Ukraine had responded positively to every ceasefire proposal put forward by its partners, while Russia had continued its attacks.
“When deliveries of missiles for Ukraine’s air defense are blocked while Russia benefits from sanctions relief or postponement, this unfortunately constitutes a denial of reality on the part of our partners,” he said.
“The reality is that the war continues, and it continues only because of Russian strikes and Russia’s desire to prolong this war,” Zelensky said.
Gn usa
