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GeopoliticsMedium•18 October 2026•
1 min read

Putin Proposes Three-Way Summit with Trump and Xi on Ukraine at APEC

Key Facts

1Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a three-way meeting with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen.
2President Trump paused energy sanctions on Russia and has increased criticism of President Zelensky.
3The Kremlin confirmed discussions but noted there is no clear agreement yet regarding the summit agenda.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a three-way meeting with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen. The Wall Street Journal reported that the proposal aims to discuss a settlement for the Ukraine crisis, occurring as President Trump paused energy sanctions on Russia and increased his criticism of President Zelensky. The Kremlin confirmed that discussions are underway but noted, according to Reuters, that there is no clear agreement yet regarding the summit agenda.

Putin is seeking to leverage a warming relationship with the Trump administration to secure a "great-power deal" on Ukraine that bypasses direct involvement from Kyiv. While markets await formal confirmation of the summit agenda scheduled for November 2026, the absence of updated price data for related instruments suggests that energy risk premiums remain sensitive to geopolitical developments, particularly as pressure continues on Russian oil infrastructure.