Putin suggests meeting with Trump and Xi Jinping to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine

Putin suggests meeting with Trump and Xi Jinping to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine The Russian president reportedly proposed the idea of the meeting during a phone call he had with the American president on October 9th, which could take place within the framework of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, proposed a meeting for next month with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, and Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, with the aim of discussing the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine, as reported by the Wall Street Journal this Sunday, citing sources familiar with the conversations. According to the outlet, the dialogue would not include the participation of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, which -according to the newspaper- would mark "an unprecedented fact" that would cause concern among other European leaders. According to the report, the Kremlin suggested that the three leaders meet within the framework of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which will be held on November 18th and 19th in Shenzhen, in southern China. Putin reportedly proposed the idea during a phone call with Trump on October 9th, according to a former Russian intelligence officer informed about the matter who spoke to the American newspaper. In that same conversation, both leaders agreed that the United States would buy Russian diesel and facilitate its sale. The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed that discussions about a possible meeting were underway, although he stressed that it is not yet agreed upon. "There is still no clear understanding about the meeting itself or its possible agenda, although the three parties recognize the hypothetical possibility that such a meeting could take place," the spokesman noted. For his part, a high official in Washington told The Wall Street Journal that the North American head of state had not yet given his consent for the meeting, but that he could be receptive to the idea due to his desire to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. The Russian representatives, in turn, proposed the idea to China through diplomatic channels, and the Asian nation indicated that it would not object if Trump supported it, according to sources close to recent talks between Moscow and Beijing. As the New York newspaper stated, a possible trilateral dialogue on Chinese territory would represent a great advance for Xi in his efforts to consolidate his country's role as a key diplomatic actor, according to analysts specializing in China. "China wants to be seen as the axis of the great powers and, potentially, as a mediator between the United States and Russia," Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington, pointed out. Putin had previously proposed a trilateral summit to both Trump and Xi on previous occasions, according to the former Russian intelligence officer. However, this time occurs at a time of reversal in the relations between Moscow and Washington. A new scenario that includes the White House agreement with the Kremlin to obtain Russian diesel in an attempt to reduce fuel prices and the temporary suspension of the sanctions that the US would impose on Russia. In parallel, the US president doubled his criticism of Zelensky, stating that the Ukrainian leader must stop attacks against Russian refineries and suggesting that the country needs a new president. In a post on Truth Social this Sunday, Trump attacked his counterpart in Ukraine after the latter country attacked a petroleum terminal in St. Petersburg, asserting that the European leader "does not want to end this war, and probably never wanted it."