Putin Proposes Trump-Xi Summit to End Ukraine War — SkimNews
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- Putin proposed a trilateral summit with Trump and Xi Jinping next month to negotiate an end to the four-year Ukraine war, suggesting the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen (November 18-19) as the venue, per the Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the discussions.
- The proposal came during Putin's October 9 phone call with Trump — the same call that produced a US deal to buy Russian diesel — and a senior US official told the Journal that Trump has not yet agreed but could be receptive.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed discussions are ongoing but told the Journal there is "no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda," though all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility.
- Trump signed an executive order on Friday waiving key sanctions on Moscow and announced a deal to buy Russian diesel, and the White House did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the proposed summit.
- Zelensky warned the diesel deal and sanctions waiver would embolden Putin and prolong the war, framing the US moves as a reward for continued Russian aggression.
Why it matters: Putin wants an end to the war negotiated on Moscow's terms, with Xi at the table lending Beijing's diplomatic weight. Zelensky, whose country isn't invited, is warning that Trump's parallel sanctions waiver and diesel deal embolden the Kremlin to press harder rather than negotiate in good faith.
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