Putin proposes summit with Trump and Xi to address Ukraine deal
Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested a summit next month with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss a resolution to the four-year-old Ukraine conflict that would be advantageous to Moscow, as reported by source on Sunday. The proposed summit arises in the context of increasingly cordial relations between Trump and Putin, particularly following the US President’s announcement of a deal to procure Russian diesel and the signing of an order on Friday that lifts significant sanctions on Moscow.
Citing a former Russian intelligence officer familiar with the situation, the report indicated that Putin’s proposal emerged during an October 9 telephone conversation with Trump, which also resulted in the diesel agreement between the two nations. The Kremlin has proposed conducting the trilateral dialogue during the forthcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, according to a report, which references individuals knowledgeable about the discussions. The summit is scheduled for November 18 to 19 in Shenzhen. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that discussions were ongoing regarding a potential meeting.
“There is no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting taking place,” he told. A senior US official informed that Trump had not consented to such a summit; however, he might be open to the concept. Trump’s diesel deal with Putin and the executive order waiving sanctions on Moscow have attracted criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has cautioned that it would empower Putin and extend the conflict.
