President Putin has proposed a summit with President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine on terms favorable to Moscow, according to The Wall Street Journal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would not be included in the proposed talks.
Putin raised the proposal during an Oct. 9 phone call with Trump. The Kremlin has suggested holding the meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on Nov. 18-19 in Shenzhen, China.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that discussions about a meeting were underway but that nothing had been finalized. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also confirmed discussions but said no specific agreement had been reached.
The proposal comes as Trump has halted the implementation of planned sanctions on Russia and reached an agreement for the United States to buy Russian diesel fuel. Trump has also criticized Zelenskyy over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities, saying Ukraine’s president does not want to end the war. Trump said he was holding off on sanctions to avoid driving Russia away from negotiations.
Putin has reportedly viewed the proposed summit as a way to strengthen Russia’s standing among the world’s major powers and discuss global influence with Trump and Xi.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
