WASHINGTON — Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly proposed a three-way summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would not be at the table.

The Wall Street Journal reported the plan on Sunday, October 18, citing people familiar with the discussions. According to the report, Putin raised the idea during a phone call with Trump on October 9, and the meeting could take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, on November 18–19.

The report landed as relations between Washington and Kyiv grew increasingly tense, with Trump publicly accusing Zelenskyy of not wanting to end the war.

What we know about the summit

  • Who: Putin, Trump and Xi, without Zelenskyy
  • Purpose: to negotiate an end to the four-year war, on terms the Journal says would favour Moscow
  • Possible time and place: the APEC summit in Shenzhen, November 18–19
  • Status: not confirmed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Journal that talks about a possible meeting are taking place, while a senior US official said Trump has not agreed to it, though he may be open to the idea.

There was no public response from Beijing in the reports. A big question remains unanswered: how any lasting peace deal could be reached without Ukraine itself.

Trump turns on Zelenskyy

The summit report came after a weekend of sharp words. Ukraine launched a major strike on Russian oil facilities, and Trump responded on Truth Social by accusing Zelenskyy of not wanting to end the war.

Trump also defended his recent moves to ease pressure on Moscow, including his deal to allow Russian diesel sales to the United States and an executive order on October 18 waiving new Russia sanctions from a bill in Congress. He said he did not want to do anything that would "drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table."

Kyiv pushes back

Zelenskyy has warned that the diesel deal and sanctions relief could embolden Putin and prolong the war. In a post on X, he argued that Russia was not offering anything in return for the concessions it had received, and said undoing the sanctions was the wrong decision.

In an interview with Bloomberg, he said recent developments had created the impression that Ukraine was being pushed toward concessions.

The Trump administration's recent steps have also alarmed European allies and drawn criticism from some members of Trump's own Republican Party.

How we got here

The latest tensions follow a busy few weeks:

At the heart of the dispute is fuel. Trump wants Ukraine to stop hitting Russian refineries so Russian diesel can flow and bring down fuel prices in the US ahead of the midterm elections. Ukraine says those strikes are vital to cutting off the money that funds Russia's war.

Why it matters for Ghana

A summit between the world's three most powerful leaders would have effects far beyond Ukraine.

What to watch