Putin proposes Trump-Xi summit on Ukraine as U.S.-Russia ties draw scrutiny

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed meeting U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by The Hindu.

The proposal was reportedly made during an October 9 telephone call between Putin and Trump and could take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Journal that discussions were underway but that there was “no clear understanding yet” about either the meeting or its agenda. A senior U.S. official said Trump had not agreed to the summit, though he could be receptive. The White House, Kremlin and Chinese Embassy did not immediately comment to Reuters.

The October 9 call also produced an agreement for the United States to import Russian diesel. Trump subsequently signed a Friday executive order waiving sanctions on Russian officials, oligarchs and financial institutions that had been authorized under bipartisan legislation enacted last month. Trump said the waiver was in the U.S. national interest and submitted a report to Congress explaining the decision.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the waiver, saying the sanctions were intended to pressure Russia to end the war. Democratic lawmakers Richard Blumenthal and Don Beyer also criticized the decision, while Republican Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers expressed concern about the diesel deal and said Washington should not give Putin “an inch.”