US-Russia-China summit would only 'encourage Putin to continue this war,' Ukraine says
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Kyiv on Oct. 19 lambasted proposals for a three-way summit of the U.S., Russian, and Chinese presidents on ending the war in Ukraine, amid reports that the Kremlin is pushing for such a meeting.
"A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia could help end the war sooner," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.
"A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China, and the U.S. would do only the opposite: encourage (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to continue this war."
The comments follow reporting by the Wall Street Journal that Putin wants to use the potential summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping—without President Volodymyr Zelensky present—to secure a peace deal favorable to Moscow, capitalizing on the warming U.S.-Russia ties.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Wall Street Journal that discussions about the summit were taking place, even though there "is no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda."
The Kremlin proposed holding the summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, held in Shenzhen, China, between Nov. 18 and 19, according to the outlet's sources.
Commenting on the news, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that "there's been talks of a meeting," without giving further details.
"I don't know whether it's been finalized, but the president has been clear. He'd like the war in Ukraine and Russia to end."
Sybiha commented that "inviting Putin to such a meeting would feed his appetite for self-aggrandizement and give him a stature he does not deserve."
"He is not a global leader; he is a war criminal. And Russia is not a global power; it is a global problem."
Zelensky has repeatedly expressed readiness for a trilateral summit with Trump and Putin on neutral ground to negotiate an end to the war. The Kremlin responded that Putin would meet Zelensky only in Moscow, effectively turning down the proposal.
"By any pragmatic or moral measure, Putin has no place at the table with presidents Trump and Xi," Ukraine's chief diplomat added, noting that rather than accepting a ceasefire, Russia is escalating its attacks against Ukrainian civilians.
The news comes as U.S.-Ukraine ties plummet and Trump warms to the Kremlin, announcing a major deal on the purchase of Russian diesel and delaying the long-awaited Russia sanctions package.
The pivot was accompanied by unexpected restrictions on Starlink terminals used by the Ukrainian military and alleged delays in shipments of already paid-for Patriot interceptors, which are crucial for defending the Ukrainian skies against Russian ballistic missiles.
Trump has also declined to denounce Russia for disregarding his unilaterally declared "energy truce" by continued attacks against the Ukrainian energy grid, while blasting Zelensky for allegedly not wanting "to end the war."
Zelensky said that Trump siding with Russia would put him on the "wrong side of history," but added that the U.S. and Ukraine are in "constant communication" and are preparing their "next steps in diplomacy."
