Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed holding a trilateral summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month to discuss a settlement to the four-year war in Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The proposal is aimed at reaching an agreement that would serve Moscow’s interests.
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The proposal comes as relations between Trump and Putin have improved, particularly after the US president announced an agreement to purchase Russian diesel and signed an executive order on Friday exempting Moscow from key sanctions.
The newspaper quoted a former Russian intelligence officer familiar with the matter as saying that Putin raised the idea of the summit during a phone call with Trump on October 9, which also resulted in a diesel agreement between the two countries.
According to the report, the Kremlin proposed holding the trilateral talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled to take place in the Chinese city of Shenzhen on November 18 and 19.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to the newspaper that discussions were underway regarding a possible meeting, but said there was not yet a clear framework for the summit or its agenda.
“There is still no clear understanding of the meeting itself or its possible agenda, but all three parties acknowledge the premise that such a meeting is possible,” Peskov was quoted as saying.
A senior US official, however, told the newspaper that Trump had not agreed to hold such a summit, although he may be open to the idea.
The White House did not respond to a Reuters request for comment, while the Kremlin could not be reached outside regular working hours. The Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington also did not respond to requests for comment, according to the report.
Trump’s agreement with Putin on diesel exports, along with the executive order exempting Moscow from key sanctions, has drawn criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who warned that the moves could encourage Putin to continue the war and prolong the conflict.
Source: Reuters
