Trump says he will meet Putin and Xi in China, sidesteps Zelensky

The U.S. president indicated willingness to join a China‑hosted summit with Russia and China, despite Ukrainian objections.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 20 Oct 2026 06:15:59 GMT

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Oct. 20 that he is ready to travel to China next month for a summit that could include Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and that he would attend even if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not present.

What happened

Trump made the comments in a press briefing in Washington, saying the meeting would focus on denuclearisation but could also address the war in Ukraine. He added that he would do "anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody is there or not." The Kremlin later confirmed that Russian, Chinese and U.S. leaders could meet at an Asia‑Pacific summit in Shenzhen in November, citing a Wall Street Journal report. U.S. officials, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, are reportedly preparing for a trip to Norway for further negotiations.

What the reports add

According to the Independent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed there had been "talk of a meeting" and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no substantive proposals had yet been discussed. Deccan Chronicle noted that the Kremlin had earlier suggested the three‑way talks could be held alongside the APEC summit in Shenzhen on Nov. 18‑19. Both outlets reported Trump’s criticism of Zelensky, quoting the president as saying Zelensky "doesn't know what he's talking about" and that it is "time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine."

What was said

Trump told reporters, "I would do it, not so much for Ukraine, because Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine. They haven't been doing much," and added, "We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearisation." He also defended his recent diesel‑supply deal with Russia, saying, "Zelensky doesn’t know what he’s talking about. To be honest, I think it’s time for someone else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine." (Independent). The Kremlin’s Dmitry Peskov said the prospect of a meeting had been mentioned but "no substantive proposals or agreements" have been discussed (Independent). Marco Rubio said there had been "talk of a meeting" (Independent).

How it came about

The idea of a trilateral summit follows a series of recent developments. On Oct. 9, Putin and Trump spoke on the phone, during which a diesel‑supply agreement was discussed (Felo, 2026‑10‑19). A 90‑minute call on Oct. 10 further explored the diesel deal and sanctions relief (Felo, 2026‑10‑10). Trump’s criticism of Zelensky and his pause of new Russia sanctions were reported on Oct. 16, Oct. 17 and Oct. 19 (Felo, 2026‑10‑16; Felo, 2026‑10‑17; Felo, 2026‑10‑19). The latest statements on Oct. 20 build on that backdrop, indicating a possible shift toward a high‑level summit in China.

Key facts

Donald Trump said he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in China next month. (deccanchronicle.com)
Trump said he would attend even if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not present. (independent.co.uk)
Marco Rubio confirmed there had been "talk of a meeting" about a summit. (independent.co.uk)
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no substantive proposals have been discussed. (independent.co.uk)
The summit could focus on denuclearisation and the Ukraine war. (deccanchronicle.com)