Putin Proposes Summit With Trump and Xi to End Ukraine War: WSJ

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a three-way summit with President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday evening, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would not take part in the talks, according to the Journal, a format the paper said would be unprecedented and would likely alarm European capitals. People familiar with the discussions told the Journal that Putin’s aim is a settlement that would favor Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that he, President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet next month to attempt to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine that would favor Moscow, said people familiar with the discussions. https://t.co/F43ytZwD6o

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 18, 2026

Where and when

The Kremlin has suggested the three leaders meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, set for Nov. 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, China, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing the Journal.

Putin first raised the idea during his Oct. 9 phone call with Trump, a former Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter told the Journal, according to Free Malaysia Today. That was the same call in which the two leaders agreed that the United States would buy Russian diesel fuel and help facilitate its sale, the Journal reported.

Kremlin confirms talks, Trump has not signed on

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to the Journal that discussions about a possible meeting are underway, The Jerusalem Post reported. “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,” Peskov told the paper, according to the Post.

A senior U.S. official told the Journal that Trump has not agreed to the summit but may be receptive to the idea because of his push to end the war, according to The Jerusalem Post. Neither the White House nor the Chinese Embassy in Washington had commented on the report, the Post said.

Beijing has reportedly signaled it would not object if Trump takes part, investingLive reported, citing the Journal. Chinese officials have also expressed concern that such a meeting could overshadow China’s role at APEC, according to The Jerusalem Post’s account of the Journal’s reporting.

“China wants to be seen as the pivot of the great powers, and potentially as a mediator between the US and Russia,” Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, told the Journal, according to the Post.

A busy week on Russia

The report lands days after Trump paused sanctions on Russia on Friday that were due under a bipartisan law he signed last month, a move that drew criticism from some lawmakers, including some of his allies, investingLive reported.

Trump has also stepped up pressure on Zelensky. In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said the Ukrainian leader “doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did,” The Jerusalem Post reported, as he called on Kyiv to stop striking Russian refineries. Ukraine hit an oil terminal in St. Petersburg on Sunday, according to investingLive.

Daily Beltway reported earlier Sunday on Trump’s defense of the Russia sanctions pause and his argument that Zelensky’s refinery strikes are driving up diesel prices.

Trump has long promised to bring the war, now in its fourth year, to an end. Whether he accepts a seat at a table with Putin and Xi, and without Zelensky, is the next question for the White House as the Shenzhen summit approaches.

Sources

• The Wall Street Journal: Putin Floats a Summit With Trump and Xi to Decide Ukraine’s Fate
• The Wall Street Journal on X
• The Jerusalem Post: Putin suggests meeting with Trump, Xi to discuss Ukraine war resolution
• Free Malaysia Today: Putin proposes summit with US, China on Ukraine
• investingLive: Putin floats Trump-Xi summit on Ukraine at APEC

Reporting by Daily Beltway.