Trump Backs 3-Way Putin-Xi Summit on Ukraine as He Urges New Negotiator for Kyiv
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Oct 19
Trump Backs 3-Way Putin-Xi Summit on Ukraine as He Urges New Negotiator for Kyiv
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Oct 19
Summary
Trump said he would join Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in a trilateral meeting on ending the Ukraine war, potentially at the Nov. 18-19 APEC summit in Shenzhen and even without Volodymyr Zelenskyy present.
The opening came after the Wall Street Journal reported Putin proposed the summit in an Oct. 9 call; Trump said he would also discuss trade and had earlier framed denuclearization as a priority.
Trump paired the offer with sharper attacks on Zelenskyy, saying Ukraine should have settled the war earlier and that "somebody else" should negotiate for Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said Starlink and Starshield service had been degraded and U.S. intelligence sharing disrupted, while criticizing Trump's waiver of parts of a new Russia sanctions law after a Kharkiv strike killed 6 people, including a 1-year-old child.
The dispute deepened bipartisan criticism in Washington, with Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Thom Tillis warning that easing pressure on Moscow and weakening Ukraine's communications and air defenses would impede peace.
How will a potential US-Russia-China summit reshape global security if Ukraine is entirely excluded from its own peace negotiations?
What alternative defense strategies can Kyiv adopt when crucial satellite communications and intelligence sharing are abruptly degraded during conflicts?
Excluding Ukraine: The 2026 Shenzhen Trilateral Summit and the Erosion of Western Sanctions and Alliance Cohesion
Overview
Rising fuel prices in the U.S., worsened by Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy sites, led President Trump to strike a major diesel deal with Russia. To make this possible, the U.S. Treasury issued a special license and Trump waived tough sanctions, sparking bipartisan outrage in Congress. Trump then pressured Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian refineries, threatening to cut off support, and publicly called for new Ukrainian leadership. This move, instead of dividing Ukraine, united its political figures against foreign interference. Meanwhile, Russia’s proposal for a summit excluding Ukraine raised fears of repeating past mistakes, like the Yalta Conference, where absent nations lost their sovereignty.