Trump, Putin, and Xi may hold a joint summit in China
U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping may hold a joint meeting in November. The Kremlin stated that the trilateral summit was discussed during a phone call between Trump and Putin, and Shenzhen is being mentioned as a potential venue for the meeting.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov spoke about the possible meeting. According to him, discussions are currently underway regarding a joint summit between the U.S., Russia, and China on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China. Peskov confirmed that this topic was among those discussed by Trump and Putin during their phone call on September 8. “During their phone call, Putin and Trump discussed the possibility of organizing a trilateral Russia-China-U.S. summit on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen,” the Kremlin spokesperson said.
Thus, if the idea is implemented, Trump, Putin, and Xi could meet in China as early as November 2026. The APEC summit in Shenzhen is scheduled for November 18–19. At the same time, there is currently no confirmation that the three leaders have definitively agreed to hold a joint meeting on those specific dates.
What Trump and Putin Discussed
A phone call between the American and Russian leaders took place on September 8. According to Peskov, one of the topics discussed was precisely a possible meeting involving Xi Jinping. For the Kremlin, such a format would serve as an important diplomatic platform. The leaders of the three largest countries, which have significant influence on international politics and security, could find themselves at the same table.
However, it is too early to speak of an agreement that has already been reached. Peskov used the phrase “the possibility of organizing,” meaning that a final decision on the meeting has not yet been made. Furthermore, no specific agenda for such a summit has been announced yet. It is also unclear whether Washington and Beijing have agreed to participate in a trilateral meeting in precisely the proposed format.
The Kremlin has once again raised the issue of negotiations regarding Ukraine
Separately, Peskov stated that Moscow is counting on the resumption of trilateral negotiations on Ukraine. According to him, the Kremlin allegedly expects this to happen “in the foreseeable future.” At the same time, Peskov acknowledged that there is currently no specific program or ready-made roadmap. “We would not like to—and will not—discuss any specific points in a public forum, especially since there are currently no, so to speak, formalized, integrated programs or roadmaps,” he said.
According to the Kremlin spokesperson, there is currently only a general political agreement on the desire to return to the trilateral format of negotiations. “There is a general initiative, a shared political desire—which has been confirmed—to resume trilateral talks,” Peskov stated. He added that Moscow continues to discuss this issue with Trump’s team.
Could the meeting take place?
For now, it’s more accurate to speak of a possible summit rather than a meeting that has already been scheduled. The Kremlin confirmed that the idea has been discussed, and Shenzhen was mentioned as a potential venue. If an agreement is reached, the meeting could take place during the APEC summit on November 18–19. In that case, Trump, Putin, and Xi would find themselves in the same place as part of a major international event.
For China, this could also be an opportunity to hold talks with two influential powers at once. For the U.S. and Russia, a meeting with Xi would be a chance to discuss issues related to international security, trade, and Russia’s war against Ukraine. However, final agreements on the format, participants, and agenda have yet to be confirmed by the parties. This was stated by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, according to TASS.
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