Trump urged to reject Putin’s APEC summit plan — SkimNews
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- Putin has actively pushed for a trilateral summit with Trump and Xi at APEC in mid-November, most recently during an October 9 phone call, aiming to exclude Ukraine and Europe from negotiations over the war.
- Trump appears receptive to the summit idea, prioritizing potential U.S.-Russia commercial benefits and political gains from lower diesel prices, despite ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
- Ukrainian and European leaders developed a ceasefire proposal with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, but Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov dismissed it as lacking substance ahead of the potential summit.
- Marc Champion argues the summit would serve Putin’s goal of reshaping Europe’s security order, likening it to a 'second Yalta' where great powers decide the fate of smaller nations without their input.
- Trump has downplayed Russian aggression, claiming Russia 'hasn’t been doing much' in Ukraine, even as a Shahed-style drone killed six, including a one-year-old, in Kharkiv on October 19.
- Champion notes Trump’s past summit performances—particularly with Putin and Kim Jong Un—were poorly prepared and resulted in ceding leverage, raising concerns about a high-stakes meeting in China.
Why it matters: If Trump meets Putin and Xi without Ukraine or NATO at the table, it risks legitimizing Russian territorial gains and eroding U.S. alliances, while giving Putin a diplomatic win that could delay real negotiations until after winter inflicts further damage on Ukraine.
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