Russia said Tuesday that discussions are underway to organize a trilateral meeting between President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China later this month.
“We hope it’ll be finalized in the coming days. Of course, the main organizing force here is our Chinese friends as the host party,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a daily briefing.
Putin and Trump are expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China on Nov. 18-19.
A source familiar with the talks to organize a trilateral meeting told the Financial Times that Washington and Moscow were both pressing Beijing to agree to the sit-down, during which the three leaders would discuss the war in Ukraine.
Publicly, China’s Foreign Ministry has said only that it is “in communication with relevant parties regarding the meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of state” without mentioning a separate meeting with Trump at APEC.
German President Frank-Walter, who met with Xi last Friday, said that the Chinese leader “seemed confused” when asked about a possible trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump and emphasized the need for Europe to be involved in any discussions about the war in Ukraine.
A source familiar with the Kremlin’s thinking told the FT that Russia does not expect substantive negotiations on Ukraine during the proposed meeting in China. Moscow reportedly believes that Beijing wants to take credit “once a peace settlement is in sight.”
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in Beijing for high-level talks with Chinese military officials, during which he hailed the “unprecedentedly high” strategic partnership between both countries.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
