'Whatever I can do to end this war': Trump floats China Summit with Putin and Xi, questions Zelensky's role in peace talks

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China next month, hinting that any potential summit would primarily focus on nuclear weapons and denuclearization but could also address the war in Ukraine. Trump also renewed his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country has been fighting Russia's invasion since 2022, arguing that Ukraine should consider a different representative for peace negotiations.

"It was time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine," Trump said, escalating his criticism of Zelensky amid growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv over the US approach to Moscow. The Kremlin had earlier hinted that the three leaders could potentially meet on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Shenzhen next month. The remarks followed a report by The Wall Street Journal suggesting that Putin wanted the proposed three-way meeting to help secure a peace agreement favourable to Russia.

Asked whether he would attend a meeting with Putin and Xi to discuss the Ukraine conflict, Trump said he was willing to participate but questioned the need for such discussions from Russia's perspective. "I would do it, not so much for Ukraine, because Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine. They haven't been doing much," Trump told reporters. “We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearization.” When asked whether the Ukraine war could also feature in a potential summit with the Chinese and Russian leaders, Trump said he would do whatever I can do to end the war.

Trump defends Russia policy, criticises Zelensky

Trump also defended his recent diesel deal with Putin and his decision to waive new sanctions on Moscow. The moves have widened divisions between Washington and Kyiv, with Zelensky warning that the US president was on the wrong side of history. Responding to questions about the Ukrainian leader's criticism, Trump said, "Zelensky doesn't know what he's talking about," before adding, “To be honest, I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.” Separately, Ukrainian authorities said six people, including young children, were killed on Monday when a Russian drone struck a park in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Also Read: WATCH | Viral video shows woman jogging past burning barricade amid Paris unrest, sparks online debate

Kremlin says three-way summit remains uncertain

Responding to The Wall Street Journal report about the proposed meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged that a possible gathering had been discussed in principle. "Given that all three heads of state might potentially attend a summit in China, the topic of such a hypothetical meeting has indeed been mentioned," Peskov said. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is scheduled to take place in Shenzhen, China, on November 18-19. China, Russia and the United States are all members of the organisation.

However, Peskov stressed that no concrete arrangements had been made for a separate meeting between the three leaders. He said no substantive proposals or agreements, neither regarding the meeting itself nor its potential agenda and content, have been discussed or put forward by anyone. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said she had no information about a possible meeting.

Ukraine insists it must be involved in peace negotiations

The possibility of a meeting between Trump, Putin and Xi without Ukrainian participation drew a sharp response from Kyiv. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga warned that such a gathering could undermine efforts to end the war by excluding the country directly affected by the conflict. "A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China and the US would do only the opposite: encourage Putin to continue this war," he said.

In a statement on social media, Sybiga also described Putin as not a global leader; he is a war criminal. The Kremlin, meanwhile, acknowledged that Ukraine's participation would ultimately be necessary for a lasting peace agreement. Peskov said that a final settlement is impossible without the participation of someone from Kyiv who is prepared to take on the responsibility.

Putin rules out meeting Zelensky before final peace deal

Putin has repeatedly rejected the prospect of meeting Zelensky before a final peace agreement is prepared. The Russian president has also questioned Zelensky's authority to sign such an agreement following the expiry of his five-year presidential term under martial law.