Putin wants to discuss Ukraine with Trump and Xi Jinping, but leaves Zelensky at the door

World War in Ukraine Putin wants to discuss Ukraine with Trump and Xi Jinping, but leaves Zelensky at the door The American newspaper The Wall Street Journal writes that it was Putin who proposed the meeting, by telephone, on October 9. Volodymyr Zelensky would not be included in the conversations. The summit aims to negotiate the end of the war. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, wants to discuss the future of Ukraine with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, but without the presence of Volodymyr Zelensky. The proposal for a trilateral summit, to take place in November, was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which cites sources close to the conversations between Moscow, Washington, and Beijing. According to the American newspaper, the Russian leader presented the idea during a conversation that took place by phone on October 9, with Donald Trump. The newspaper clarifies that the objective will be to negotiate the end of the war on terms favorable to Russia, in a context of rapprochement between the Russian and American presidents that has caused concern in Ukraine and among the European allies of Kyiv. The proposal foresees conversations between the three leaders, without Volodymyr Zelensky, in a diplomatic initiative that, according to the newspaper, if realized on these terms, would be unprecedented. The exclusion of Ukraine from a meeting about the country's future is expected to arouse reservations in Kyiv and the European capitals. The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that talks are underway about the possibility of a meeting, but noted that "there is still no clear understanding about the meeting itself or its possible agenda, although all three parties recognize the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting taking place," Peskov told the newspaper. On the American side, a high official cited by the WSJ indicated that Trump has not yet accepted the proposal, although he may be receptive, given the commitment to end the war in Ukraine. APEC as a possible stage According to the sources cited by the newspaper, Moscow suggested that the meeting take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled for November 18 and 19, in Shenzhen, in southern China. The initiative could also give Xi Jinping an opportunity to strengthen China's role in the diplomatic mediation of the conflict. The White House refused to comment on the possibility, while the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for clarification from the newspaper. Diesel was also on the table The telephone conversation of October 9 between Putin and Trump will also have addressed energy issues. According to the WSJ, both sides reached an understanding related to the purchase of Russian diesel by the United States and with the efforts to facilitate its commercialization in the international market. On Sunday, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, defended that the diesel agreement is a bilateral issue between Moscow and Washington, regardless of Zelensky's positions. The Russian foreign policy chief also accused the Ukrainian president of not wanting to negotiate peace and of "continuously sabotaging the negotiations," referring to the Minsk, Istanbul, and Abu Dhabi processes. For his part, in an interview with Blommberg News, Zelensky accused Trump of trying to pressure Kyiv to accept a surrender to Russia.