Putin Floats Trump-Xi Ukraine Summit in Shenzhen

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that a hypothetical meeting of Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping on the Ukraine war was raised because all three may attend next month's APEC summit in Shenzhen. He said no specific proposals, agreements or agenda were put forward. The Wall Street Journal first reported Putin floated the idea on an October 9 call with Trump and that Volodymyr Zelenskyy would not be included. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X that a Ukraine-U.S.-Russia meeting could end the war sooner, while a Russia-China-U.S. meeting would encourage Putin to continue it. Peskov said a final settlement is impossible without someone in Kyiv prepared to take responsibility. Marco Rubio said Monday there have been talks of a meeting, he did not know if it was finalized, and Trump is open to anything that could help end the war. A Russian strike on Kyiv early Monday killed a woman and injured three. Ukrainian drones hit a St. Petersburg oil terminal over the weekend. The White House on Friday paused a broad Russia sanctions package; the administration also suspended sanctions on Russian diesel. Serhiy Derkach said U.S. limits on Starlink have left Russia freer to hit Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Last U.S.-mediated talks were in February. Whether any summit happens, and on what terms, is unresolved.