Putin–Xi–Trump summit in China under discussion, Kremlin says

A possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump is under discussion for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on October 21. RT reported that the summit is scheduled for November 18–19; the proposed three-leader talks remain unconfirmed.

Speaking to Russian outlet Vesti on Wednesday, Ushakov said China had started preparing for the potential meeting. He described the participants as ready, while saying that arrangements depended heavily on the Chinese hosts. That assessment represents the Kremlin aide’s account, rather than separate confirmation from Beijing or Washington.

According to the Kremlin, the proposal also came up during Putin’s meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Ushakov said the gathering would be the leaders’ first meeting in this three-way format and described its potential significance as “historic.”

Possible agenda, but limits on expectations

Trump has previously indicated willingness to hold three-way talks and suggested nuclear disarmament as a possible topic. No agreed agenda was announced in the account.

Asked whether such a meeting could advance efforts to end the Ukraine conflict, Ushakov cautioned against expecting a comprehensive settlement from one encounter. He said even several hours of discussions would not be sufficient to resolve every problem.

Ushakov was also asked whether the gathering could resemble a new Yalta Conference. He did not endorse that comparison, instead predicting extensive commentary if the talks went ahead. The 1945 conference brought together Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to discuss the closing phase of World War II and the postwar order.

Bilateral contacts precede the proposal

The report places the proposal against a series of bilateral exchanges. Putin and Trump last met face to face in Anchorage, Alaska, in August 2025, and have continued telephone contact, with their latest call reported on October 9.

Putin and Xi met during the Russian president’s state visit to Beijing in May and again on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek in August, according to the account. Trump and Xi were also reported to have met twice this year: in Beijing in May and at the White House in September.