Trump Agrees to Discuss Ukraine With Putin and Xi in China

Plans for a possible three-way meeting between the United States, Russia and China have raised questions about Ukraine's role in negotiations to end the war. President Donald Trump said Monday, October 19, 2026, that he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Shenzhen next month, potentially discussing Ukraine alongside nuclear weapons and denuclearization.

The proposed meeting could take place during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on November 18-19, according to reports cited by CNBC and Euronews. Putin reportedly raised the idea during a phone call with Trump on October 9, but the Kremlin said no concrete proposals or agreements had been reached.

Trump indicated that he would participate if Xi wanted the meeting, while suggesting that ending the war in Ukraine would not be its primary purpose. The prospect of negotiations without Ukrainian representatives has intensified tensions between Washington and Kyiv.

Trump described his willingness to discuss the conflict while departing the White House for a campaign rally in Kansas.

"Anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody's there or not," Trump told reporters.

He also emphasized nuclear weapons as a central subject for a potential summit involving the three leaders.

"I would do it, not so much for Ukraine, because Russia, frankly, has been fine with Ukraine. They haven't been doing much," Trump said.

Trump subsequently reiterated that he would consider a meeting if the Chinese president supported it and suggested trade could also feature in the discussions. His remarks followed renewed criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has challenged recent US decisions concerning Russia.

When asked about Zelenskyy's criticism, Trump questioned the Ukrainian president's judgment and his ability to negotiate an end to the conflict.

"Zelenskyy doesn't know what he's talking about," Trump said.

Trump continued his criticism by arguing that Ukraine should have reached a settlement earlier in the war.

"Zelenskyy is a man that should have had this war settled a long time ago," Trump said.

He also questioned whether Zelenskyy should continue representing Ukraine in negotiations.

"I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine," Trump said.

Trump's comments have heightened concerns among Ukrainian officials and supporters that Washington could pursue an agreement without Kyiv's participation. Ukraine has also objected to US decisions concerning sanctions on Russia and disruptions affecting critical military communications.

Ukrainian officials have raised concerns about the performance of Starlink and Starshield satellite services provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX, as well as interruptions to US intelligence sharing. Zelenskyy discussed these issues with bipartisan US lawmakers on Monday and said Ukraine had received no explanation from the American side.

Trump said he did not know who had ordered the reported interruption to Starlink services but wanted to establish what happened. Musk said the US government and Trump were ultimately responsible for any slowdowns, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that Washington had caused the interruption. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also urged Zelenskyy to exercise caution when making claims about the issue.

Zelenskyy separately criticized Trump's decision to waive key provisions of a new Russian sanctions bill signed the previous month after receiving broad bipartisan support in Congress. He showed US lawmakers photographs from a Russian attack in the Kharkiv region that killed six people, including a mother and her 1-year-old child.

"This is how Russia responds to the lifting of sanctions and the easing of pressure," Zelenskyy said.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., expressed concern about policies they said could undermine Ukraine's ability to defend itself.

"Funding Russia's war machine, disabling Ukraine's satellite communications, and crippling its air defense are all impediments to peace," the senators said in a joint statement.

They also warned that concessions to Moscow could prolong the conflict.

"Trying to appease a murderous thug like Vladimir Putin will only prolong this war and bring greater casualties," the senators said.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha rejected the prospect of a summit that excluded Kyiv, arguing that direct engagement among the three other powers would not advance peace.

"A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China and the US would do only the opposite: encourage Putin to continue this war," Sybiha said.

Sybiha also challenged Putin's international standing, referring to the Russian president's conduct in the war.

"Putin is not a global leader; he is a war criminal," Sybiha said on social media.

The Kremlin acknowledged that a possible meeting had been mentioned but said discussions had not advanced to substantive proposals. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also emphasized that a lasting settlement would require participation from Ukraine.

"Given that all three heads of state might potentially attend a summit in China, the topic of such a hypothetical meeting has indeed been mentioned," Peskov said.

He clarified that neither the meeting itself nor its possible agenda had been agreed upon.

"No substantive proposals or agreements, neither regarding the meeting itself nor its potential agenda and content, have been discussed or put forward by anyone," Peskov said.

Peskov also acknowledged the necessity of Ukrainian involvement in a final agreement.

"A final settlement is impossible without the participation of someone from Kyiv who is prepared to take on the responsibility," he said.

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said she had no information about a possible meeting. Beijing, Moscow and Washington are all members of APEC, whose November summit is scheduled to take place in Shenzhen.

The Guardian's October 19 editorial argued that excluding Ukraine from negotiations would undermine the country's right to determine its future and could leave European governments uncertain about US security commitments. It also raised questions about a proposed Russian diesel arrangement amid existing restrictions on Russian energy imports.

The editorial cited concerns that Putin could gain diplomatic recognition from a summit involving Trump and Xi while European governments remained outside discussions over a war on their continent. It also noted that Trump's national security strategy had described Europe as strategically and culturally important while calling for greater European responsibility for defense.

The editorial compared the proposed three-power arrangement with the Three Emperors' League, established in 1873 by Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia. That alliance was revived in 1881 but collapsed in 1887 after disagreements over competing ambitions in the Balkans.

The potential Trump-Putin-Xi meeting remains unconfirmed, with no agreed agenda or substantive proposals announced by the Kremlin as of October 20, 2026.