Putin’s Three-Power Gambit: Can Trump And Xi Help End The Ukraine War?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a meeting with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Monday. The Kremlin has acknowledged discussions about a possible meeting but said neither a summit nor its agenda has been agreed.

The reported proposal would bring the three leaders together on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen on November 18–19. Ukraine is not included in the proposed format, even though any settlement would directly affect its territory and security.

The idea raises questions about whether major powers could discuss the war’s future without Kyiv at the table. However, the proposal remains preliminary: Trump has not agreed to the meeting, and there is no confirmed negotiating framework.

What Has Putin Proposed?

Putin publicly backed the idea of meeting Trump and Xi at the APEC summit on October 1, telling the Valdai Discussion Club that a meeting would require an agenda.

The Wall Street Journal subsequently reported that Putin raised the proposal during a telephone conversation with Trump on October 9. Citing people familiar with the discussions, the newspaper said the proposed meeting would focus on a possible deal to end the war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said there is no clear understanding of the meeting or its agenda. TASS reported on October 19 that no summit had been agreed, although the possibility could be discussed if all three leaders attended APEC.

Reuters, citing a senior US official, reported that Trump had not agreed to the proposal, though he could be receptive to it. The White House had not immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment.

The distinction is important. Putin has endorsed the idea, but there is no confirmed summit, agreed agenda or indication that the parties have reached an understanding on the terms of a settlement.

Why Bring Xi Into The Talks?

Xi’s inclusion would bring China into a proposed discussion involving Russia and the United States, both central to the diplomatic efforts surrounding the war.

Beijing has maintained close strategic and economic ties with Moscow while continuing to engage with Washington. Xi held separate meetings with Putin and Trump in May, and China’s official account of the US-China talks said they discussed major international issues, including Ukraine.

For Moscow, a meeting involving Xi could broaden the diplomatic setting beyond direct negotiations with Washington. However, China has not confirmed that it would participate in a trilateral summit on Ukraine.

When asked about Putin’s expected attendance at APEC, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on October 3 that Beijing was ready to work with Moscow to ensure productive outcomes during China’s hosting year. He did not confirm a meeting involving all three leaders to discuss Ukraine.

APEC is primarily an economic forum, and China’s stated priorities for the 2026 summit centre on regional openness, innovation and cooperation. A meeting on its sidelines could provide an opportunity for diplomacy, but Beijing’s willingness to host the summit does not establish that it has accepted a mediation role.

Is Kyiv Being Sidelined?

Ukraine’s absence from the reported format is the proposal’s central political question. Any settlement involving Ukrainian territory, security guarantees or the country’s future relationship with its partners would directly affect Kyiv.

But the proposal does not establish that Ukraine has been excluded from all diplomatic efforts. Kyiv has continued separate discussions with US officials and has expressed openness to a trilateral channel involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had spoken with Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, about discussions between Ukrainian and American teams in Florida. He said the sides remained in regular contact and were preparing further diplomatic steps.

The distinction between the two proposed formats matters. A Ukraine-US-Russia meeting would include both countries at war and the United States as a key diplomatic interlocutor. Putin’s reported proposal would instead bring Russia, the US and China together without Ukraine.

That does not prove a settlement would be imposed on Kyiv. No summit has been agreed, and no agenda has been announced. However, it raises the question of whether any proposals emerging from a three-power discussion would be negotiated directly with Ukraine or presented to it after the fact.

What Is Washington’s Position?

The Trump administration has said its priority is ending the war, but it has not confirmed the proposed summit.

Speaking to reporters in Uzbekistan on October 19, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russia and Ukraine should focus on ending the conflict. Asked about the possible Trump-Putin-Xi meeting, he said discussions had taken place but he did not know whether it had been finalised.

Rubio’s comments did not amount to an endorsement of the proposal. They reiterated Washington’s stated objective while leaving the format and timing of further talks unresolved.

Ukraine has also been pressing Washington to maintain support for its defence. Zelenskyy has raised concerns that easing pressure on Russia could prolong the war, while discussions with US officials have addressed possible de-escalation measures and preparations for winter, including air defence.

The US position on whether Ukraine should participate in any eventual trilateral meeting remains unclear. That question will be important in determining how the proposed summit relates to the diplomatic process already underway.

What Would A Settlement Need To Address?

A leaders’ meeting would not by itself resolve the disputes at the heart of the war. Territory, security guarantees and Ukraine’s future relationship with its partners remain central to negotiations.

Following talks with US envoys earlier in October, Zelenskyy said the territorial question remained unresolved and that complex issues would need to be addressed at leaders’ level. He also pointed to security guarantees, economic support for reconstruction and the resources needed to maintain Ukraine’s armed forces.

Russia and Ukraine have competing positions on territory and the conditions for ending the war. A discussion involving Trump, Putin and Xi could provide a channel for exploring proposals, but without Ukraine’s direct participation it would not constitute an agreement with Kyiv.

China’s role also remains undefined. Its ties with Moscow and engagement with Washington give it a place in discussions among major powers, but there is no evidence that Beijing has agreed to mediate specific settlement terms or that the proposed meeting would reconcile the parties’ positions.

The key issue is therefore not simply whether the leaders meet, but whether talks can produce proposals that address the security and territorial concerns of the parties expected to implement them.

What Happens Next?

The proposal remains at an exploratory stage. The Kremlin says no meeting or agenda has been agreed, Washington has not confirmed Trump’s participation, and Beijing has not publicly committed to a trilateral summit on Ukraine.

If a meeting takes place in Shenzhen, its agenda will help establish whether it is intended to advance specific settlement terms or provide a forum for broader discussions. Ukraine’s role will be equally important: Kyiv’s separate contacts with US officials continue, but its participation in the reported three-way format has not been established.

For now, Putin’s proposal raises questions rather than providing a route to a confirmed settlement. Whether it advances efforts to end the war will depend on what the leaders agree to discuss, how Ukraine is involved in decisions affecting its future, and whether any proposals lead to negotiations acceptable to the parties concerned.