According to The Wall Street Journal, Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral summit among Russia, the United States, and China next month in China, with Ukraine and Europe excluded from the agenda. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that "at present, there are no clear plans regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda. However, all three parties acknowledge that such a gathering is theoretically possible."
The proposed "Russia-U.S.-China trilateral summit" essentially represents Russia’s attempt to break through its diplomatic isolation, while China has maintained a notably restrained stance—neither rejecting nor confirming the idea. Notably, the shift in U.S. position is significant. On October 19, Trump stated at the White House: "To be honest, Russia has behaved reasonably on Ukraine, doing little in terms of escalation. Our focus should instead be on arms control and nuclear disarmament." He also intensified criticism of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, suggesting that "someone else should represent Ukraine in negotiations."
Of course, the theme of the Shenzhen APEC summit is openness, innovation, and cooperation, with core discussions centered on regional economic trade, supply chain resilience, and digital governance frameworks. Forcing security-related issues involving China, the United States, and Russia into side events would complicate the host nation’s protocol arrangements and agenda management. Putin’s eagerness to advance this trilateral meeting stems from a desire to alleviate diplomatic isolation—a motivation that is understandable. Meanwhile, Trump’s interest in the summit appears less driven by a push for a ceasefire in Ukraine than by a long-standing desire to engage on nuclear arms control, a topic he has struggled to access through conventional channels. Furthermore, his open dissatisfaction with Zelenskyy over Ukraine policy has become increasingly evident.
Ironically, The Wall Street Journal specifically emphasized that the proposed meeting would exclude both Ukraine and Europe—indicating Zelenskyy’s complete marginalization and signaling that Europe lacks standing at the table.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879530109771852/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.