The Kremlin has begun discussing a possible meeting between Putin and Trump in China
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin may meet with U.S. President Donald Trump during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China. However, no specific arrangements for the talks have been made yet. Meanwhile, the Kremlin is already preparing for a meeting between Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit could provide an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Both leaders may travel to Shenzhen, China, but it is not yet known whether they will sit down at the negotiating table. This was stated by Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov. According to him, the Russian side is still preparing President Putin’s itinerary for the summit, so it is too early to discuss an agreed-upon schedule of meetings with the U.S. president. “President Putin’s itinerary is still being finalized,” Peskov said.
At the same time, the Kremlin representative did not rule out that the leaders might be able to speak in person if both are in Shenzhen. He said that in such a case, there would be an opportunity for contact between them. However, it is still unclear what specific format this might take. It could be full-fledged bilateral talks or a brief conversation on the sidelines of the summit. The Kremlin has not yet disclosed whether the parties have discussed this possibility or if there are any preliminary agreements.
Is a trilateral meeting with Xi Jinping possible?
Separately, Peskov commented on the possibility of trilateral talks involving Putin, Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to him, there are currently no specific agreements regarding such a meeting. However, preparations for Putin’s talks with Xi Jinping are already underway. The Kremlin is looking forward to a face-to-face meeting with the Chinese leader and emphasizes the importance of relations between Moscow and Beijing.
Peskov explained that Russia and China have a broad agenda for bilateral cooperation. Therefore, during their meetings, the leaders typically discuss not just one specific issue, but a whole range of topics. In particular, Putin and Xi Jinping assess the state of relations between the countries, take stock of their joint efforts, and exchange views on the international situation. According to the Kremlin spokesperson, such discussions are a routine part of the interactions between the two leaders.
At the same time, the exact agenda for the upcoming talks has not yet been made public. The Kremlin has only confirmed that it is preparing for a meeting with the Chinese leader. Thus, the possibility of Putin meeting with Trump during the APEC summit remains open, but there are currently no confirmed agreements regarding bilateral or trilateral talks. This is according to a statement by Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.
The Kremlin stated that Russia, the U.S., and China have begun preparations for a trilateral meeting between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Xi Jinping. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, Moscow, Washington, and Beijing are reportedly already ready to hold it. At the same time, he described potential talks involving Russia, the U.S., and Ukraine in November as preliminary.
Russia has proposed holding talks in November involving Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Xi Jinping. According to reports, the Kremlin seeks to reach an agreement to end the war on terms favorable to Moscow, while there are no plans to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the meeting.
