Putin Proposes Trilateral Summit with Trump and Xi
Source reports published 21 Oct 2026, 5:23 am – 22 Oct 2026, 5:32 am AEST
The Kremlin has proposed a trilateral summit between Russia, the United States, and China, excluding Ukraine and the European Union, to discuss the end of the conflict in Ukraine. Negotiations are expected to take place in Abu Dhabi, potentially on the sidelines of the APEC summit in China.
What happened
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested a trilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
- This proposal, confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Putin’s aide Yury Ushakov, envisions a summit excluding Ukraine and the European Union.
- The meeting would initially focus on ‘building the security system for Russia and Ukraine after the end of the war’ and could potentially take place in Abu Dhabi.
- Putin reportedly shared his thoughts on the summit with US special envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in St. Petersburg.
- The Kremlin views this summit as a potential new Yalta Conference, reflecting a desire to negotiate on terms favorable to Russia, contingent on Ukraine making territorial concessions.
- China has indicated openness to the format, contingent on Trump’s participation, and both countries share overlapping strategic interests, including promoting an alternative security architecture across Eurasia.
- Researcher Temur Umarov believes Russia seeks to demonstrate its equal footing with the US and China, while Yurii Poita suggests China and Russia benefit from reducing Western military presence and weakening NATO’s influence.
Original reporting
- Washington Examiner: Why Putin wants Xi at the Ukraine negotiating table with Trump
2026-10-20T19:23:29+00:00 - Deutsche Welle: Trilateral Ukraine talks: What's in it for China?
2026-10-21T19:32:30.701000+00:00