Putin Proposes Trump-Xi Summit at Nov. 18-19 APEC in China as U.S., Beijing Hold Back
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 19
Putin Proposes Trump-Xi Summit at Nov. 18-19 APEC in China as U.S., Beijing Hold Back
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 19
Summary
Shenzhen’s Nov. 18-19 APEC summit is the proposed venue for a Trump-Xi-Putin meeting that Moscow floated, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio said talks are not finalized and Trump said only that he is open.
China has asked U.S. counterparts for clarity on whether Washington wants such a meeting, while the Kremlin described the idea as hypothetical and said no agenda or substantive agreements have been set.
Ukraine could become a central topic despite President Volodymyr Zelensky’s exclusion, a prospect Kyiv rejected as Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned a Russia-China-U.S. format would encourage Putin to keep fighting.
The proposal comes as the war widens to more infrastructure targets and U.S.-Ukraine ties fray over Starlink access, sanctions and Trump’s criticism of Zelensky, though one person familiar with the talks said the summit would benefit Moscow more than Washington or Beijing.
October 2026 Crisis: Russian Strikes, U.S. Aid Cut, and the Great Power Deal That Fractured the West
Overview
In October 2026, Russia launched a massive aerial assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing widespread blackouts and a sharp rise in civilian casualties. As Russian attacks intensified, the U.S. threatened to halt intelligence sharing and weapon deliveries unless Ukraine stopped striking Russian oil refineries. This led to a breakdown in U.S.-Ukraine cooperation, leaving Ukrainian cities exposed to missile strikes. Meanwhile, President Trump, under pressure from rising energy costs before U.S. midterm elections, struck a controversial deal to import Russian diesel and waived key sanctions. These moves triggered outrage in Ukraine and Europe, prompting Kyiv to seek stronger ties with European allies and the EU to prepare its toughest sanctions package yet against Russia.