Putin proposes Ukraine summit to Trump without Kyiv or Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that Donald Trump hold a summit on Ukraine without Ukraine itself. The proposal was made in a phone call on October 9, according to the American press, citing a former Russian intelligence officer who was aware of the matter.

A summit in China on the sidelines of APEC

According to people familiar with the talks, the Kremlin proposed organising three-way negotiations on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. It will take place on November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, a major technology hub in southern China. China, reportedly, would not stand in the way of such a meeting if Trump agrees.

The call also apparently produced an understanding that the US would buy Russian oil and make it easier to sell on the world market. According to the source, Putin had proposed a three-way summit with Trump and Xi Jinping before, but is doing so now, at a moment when relations between Moscow and Washington have become more favourable.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the American newspaper: “There is no clear idea yet of the meeting itself or its agenda, but all three sides acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting.”

What Washington and Beijing think

A senior US administration official said Trump has not yet agreed to this format of talks. According to another source, the president may nevertheless back the idea, since he wants to fulfil his campaign promise to end the war. On taking office for his second term, Trump said he would stop the war on “day one”, and he is now nearing the end of the second year in office.

For Xi Jinping, three-way dialogue on Chinese soil would be an important step towards strengthening China’s role as a diplomatic power, analysts believe. “China wants to be seen as a central player among the great powers and, possibly, as a mediator between the US and Russia,” said Yun Sun, director of the China programme at the Washington think tank Stimson Center. The White House declined to comment, and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request.

Trump criticises Zelensky

On Sunday, Trump criticised Zelensky on the social network Truth Social in response to a Ukrainian attack on an oil terminal in Saint Petersburg, accusing him of “not wanting to end this war and probably never having wanted to”. He added that he is hesitating over imposing sanctions on Russia so as not to harm further negotiations: “I want this war to end!”

A meeting of Russia, the US and China could lead to more direct Chinese involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. It could also provoke a negative reaction from European capitals, which already watch with distrust as Beijing leans towards Moscow’s side.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz

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