WSJ: Putin Proposes Trilateral Meeting with Trump and Xi Jinping on Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet next month to discuss the Ukraine issue. The Wall Street Journal writes about this, citing informed sources.

According to the publication's sources, the aim is to reach an agreement that would end the four-year conflict and serve Moscow's interests. The publication writes that the plan is Putin's attempt to take advantage of warming relations between Xi and Trump. This causes concern in Ukraine and among its allies, in Washington as well as in Europe.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "such a summit - without the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - would be unprecedented and would set off alarm bells in the capitals of Europe and countries beyond it".

According to sources, Putin made the proposal during a phone conversation with Trump on October 9. The Kremlin proposed holding the trilateral dialogue on the sidelines of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The summit is scheduled for November 18-19 in the Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to the publication that negotiations are underway on a possible meeting. He said, "so far there is no clear idea of the meeting itself or its likely agenda, although all three sides admit the hypothetical possibility of holding such a meeting".

An American senior official told the publication that Trump has not yet expressed agreement to such a summit, though the idea may be acceptable to him.