Putin floats November trilateral summit with Trump and Xi

President Vladimir Putin has proposed a November meeting with President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the three capitals are discussing a possible trilateral summit.

Why it matters: A three way meeting would put China inside the Ukraine endgame format for the first time and test whether Beijing's leverage over Moscow can be converted into a settlement track, weeks after Washington waived the Graham Act sanctions meant to pressure Russia.

Data as of Sunday, October 18, 2026, 21:47 ET. Developing item. Kommersant's report of October 19, 2026, in Russian, read in full, reporting the Wall Street Journal's account and Peskov's remarks to the Journal; Bloomberg carried the same proposal the same day. The proposal's details rest on the Journal's sourcing; Peskov's confirmation that the three sides are discussing a meeting is on the record.

President Vladimir Putin proposed a three way meeting with President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping in November to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, raising the idea in an October 9 telephone call with Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported, via Kommersant. Russia has passed the proposal to Beijing through diplomatic channels, and the Chinese side has signalled it would not object if Trump agrees to take part; Trump has not agreed, though the Journal’s sources say he may be receptive. The Kremlin has proposed holding the meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19, and spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Journal there is no clear understanding yet on the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three sides acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of holding one.

Putin floats November trilateral summit with Trump and Xi

Sources