Kremlin says Moscow is helping arrange a Trump, Xi and Putin meeting
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Moscow is involved in talks on a meeting of the US, Russian and Chinese leaders. Kyiv views the idea with concern, while China has not commented on it.
The Kremlin says Moscow is taking part in talks on a possible three-way meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The statement came from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. A summit could touch on nuclear arms control as well as Russia's war against Ukraine.
Trump's remarks
Last month Trump told reporters he would meet Putin and Xi, initially “on denuclearization”, but also to discuss Ukraine. He said he would do anything he could to end the war, whether or not a particular party was present.
Kyiv's concerns
Ukraine's capital has received the prospect of a trilateral meeting with concern. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that such a meeting should take place after one that includes Ukraine. In late October he told reporters he did not want a “Yalta – 2, 3, 4”, in which influence is redistributed. He was referring to the 1945 Yalta Conference, where the US, British and Soviet leaders agreed on aspects of the postwar settlement in Europe, including the occupation of Germany.
China's position
China has not publicly commented on the possibility of a trilateral meeting. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who met Xi last week, told the broadcaster ARD that the Chinese leader looked “surprised” when asked about potential Ukraine talks. Steinmeier also said Xi rejected the idea that China, Russia and the US would discuss Ukraine in a three-way meeting.
The Chinese foreign ministry told the Financial Times it was “in communication with relevant parties regarding the meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of state”. The ministry did not mention Trump.
