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Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The proposed meeting, which would exclude Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, aims to negotiate a resolution that could favor Moscow.
The summit proposal was reportedly made during a phone call between Putin and Trump earlier this month, during which Trump also agreed to a deal to purchase Russian diesel fuel. The meeting is suggested to take place at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November in Shenzhen, China, as noted by CNBC.
The exclusion of Ukraine from the summit has raised concerns among European allies and some U.S. lawmakers, who worry about the implications of such a meeting. The Trump administration's recent actions, perceived as pro-Russian, have drawn criticism from both allies and members of Trump's own Republican Party.
The situation is further complicated by recent tensions between Ukraine and the U.S., with Trump temporarily lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports and issuing an executive order to waive new sanctions on Russia. Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed his disapproval, stating that these decisions seem to undermine efforts to end the war.
The proposed summit and the actions surrounding it have sparked debates about the future of the conflict and the role of international diplomacy in resolving it.