Key facts
- Putin proposed a summit with Trump and Xi to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict.
- The proposed meeting could take place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19.
- Trump recently agreed to a deal to buy Russian diesel and received a waiver of key sanctions on Moscow.
- A senior US official stated Trump has not agreed to the summit but may be receptive.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the discussions. The proposed summit comes amid warming ties between Trump and Putin, particularly after the US President announced a deal to buy Russian diesel and signed an order waiving key sanctions on Moscow. Putin's suggestion reportedly came in an October 9 telephone call with Trump. The Kremlin has suggested holding the trilateral dialogue on the sidelines of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to the Journal that discussions are taking place over a potential meeting. A senior US official told the Journal that Trump had not agreed to such a summit but could be receptive to the idea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that Trump's diesel deal and sanctions waiver would embolden Putin and prolong the war.