Xi Hesitates on Trump-Putin Summit Push — SkimNews
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- Trump and Putin have expressed interest in a trilateral summit with Xi at the APEC meeting in Shenzhen, a proposal initiated by Russia to elevate its global standing and break diplomatic isolation.
- Russia seeks a 'Yalta-style' agreement on Ukraine through the summit, aiming to reshape European security without Kyiv’s participation, while gaining legitimacy alongside the U.S. and China.
- Trump supports the summit idea, reportedly prioritizing nuclear disarmament talks and potential economic benefits, including recent U.S. easing of sanctions on Russian diesel imports.
- Xi Jinping has not committed to the summit, wary of undermining China’s stance that both Russia and Ukraine must be involved in peace talks and of overshadowing APEC’s economic agenda.
- Beijing risks contradicting its advocacy for inclusive multilateralism if it hosts a high-profile trilateral meeting focused on geopolitical bargaining outside established forums.
- European governments and Kyiv could be sidelined by a summit that signals great-power entitlement to decide Europe’s future, setting a damaging precedent if Ukraine is excluded.
Why it matters: Xi’s hesitation protects China from being bound by U.S.-Russia nuclear frameworks it has long resisted and preserves APEC’s economic focus, but refusal risks diplomatic fallout with Moscow and Washington, who gain stature from the meeting regardless of outcome.
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