Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a summit next month with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the four-year war in Ukraine on terms that would favour Moscow, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the discussions, Reuters reports.
The Kremlin has suggested holding the three-way talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen on November 18 to 19, the paper said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to the Journal that a possible meeting was being discussed. He said there was no clear understanding yet about the meeting or its agenda, but that “all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting taking place”.
A senior US official told the paper that Trump had not agreed to such a summit but could be receptive to the idea.
Putin made the proposal during a telephone call with Trump on October 9, the Journal reported, citing a former Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter. The same call produced a deal for the United States to buy Russian diesel.
The proposal comes as ties between Trump and Putin have warmed, particularly since Trump announced the diesel deal and, on Friday, signed an order waiving key sanctions on Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has criticised both moves, warning they would embolden Putin and prolong the war.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, and the Kremlin could not be reached outside business hours. The Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
(Reuters)
