Trump Putin Xi summit talks gather pace ahead of APEC in Shenzhen

A possible Trump Putin Xi summit is under discussion for later this month, and the Kremlin confirmed that work on arranging a meeting is under way.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that preparations for such a meeting have begun. A media report on the talks said officials in Washington, Beijing and Moscow had held serious discussions.

Where the Trump Putin Xi summit could happen

Per the report, the three sides were discussing a meeting on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shenzhen, China. The gathering takes place on November 18 and 19.

Its information came from people familiar with the situation across the three capitals. No independent confirmation has emerged.

Trump is due to travel to China in about two weeks for the forum. There he will meet Xi Jinping, which would be their third meeting this year. Still, no official confirmation exists yet that Putin will join a three-way session.

Beijing’s cautious answer on the Trump Putin Xi summit

China gave a measured reply. Its foreign ministry said Beijing was talking to the parties concerned about a possible Xi-Putin meeting. However, it made no mention of Trump or of a three-way format.

The report added that it remained unclear if the three governments spoke jointly, or if Beijing held separate conversations with Washington and Moscow. People familiar with the situation also warned in the report that Beijing had yet to decide on going ahead.

One person familiar with the talks said Washington and Moscow were pressing China to agree. Last month, the Chinese foreign ministry said it had no information to provide on a possible three-way summit.

What Moscow has said so far

Earlier, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said no party had ruled out such a meeting on the margins of the forum. He spoke after Putin met US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on October 21.

Ushakov said the idea had drawn intense global interest and that both men discussed it during their talks. Putin himself made the case that day for sitting down with Trump and Xi to tackle the Ukraine war and the Middle East situation.

Meanwhile, Trump has floated the idea of a three-way meeting in China. On Monday, Peskov told reporters that Putin’s schedule for APEC was still taking shape, and he had no specific information about a meeting on the sidelines.

Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko of Russia said earlier that no final call had come on the question. Overall, the Russian side keeps its comments cautious while it waits for Beijing to answer.

What to watch next

For now, the Trump Putin Xi summit remains a plan under discussion rather than a confirmed event. Beijing’s answer will decide the outcome, because the Chinese side has not yet said it will take part in a three-way meeting.

Also, a Trump Putin Xi summit would bring the leaders of the three biggest military powers into one room while the Middle East war and the Ukraine conflict continue. The forum in Shenzhen will show whether the idea turns into a real meeting.