China proposes to host Trump-Putin talks without Ukraine's Zelensky, WSJ reports
Chinese officials have proposed arranging a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the idea has been met with skepticism, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Feb. 13, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to the publication, Beijing made the offer through intermediaries, suggesting a U.S.-Russia summit without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's participation.
The White House declined to confirm whether it had received China's proposal but dismissed it as "not viable at all," according to a U.S. official quoted by WSJ.
Trump announced on Feb. 12 that he had spoken with Putin and that their first in-person meeting would take place in Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to negotiate an end to Russia's war against Ukraine. The extent of Ukrainian involvement in these talks remains unclear.
China has deepened its ties with Russia since the start of the Kremlin's full-scale war against Ukraine and has become Moscow's leading source of dual-use goods that feed the Russian defense industry.
Beijing has long positioned itself as a potential mediator in the conflict, dispatching envoy Li Hui on diplomatic missions in Europe while criticizing Western military aid to Ukraine.
Western officials remain wary of Beijing's deepening ties with Moscow, with NATO labeling China a "decisive enabler" of Russia's war.
Despite its diplomatic efforts, Beijing is cautious about taking any steps that could jeopardize its close relationship with the Kremlin, according to a WSJ source.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
