Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a summit next month with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the four-year-old Ukraine conflict that would favor Moscow, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the discussions.
The proposed summit comes amid warming ties between Trump and Putin especially after the US President announced a deal to buy Russian diesel and signed an order on Friday waiving key sanctions on Moscow.
Citing a former Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter, the paper said that Putin’s suggestion came in an October 9 telephone call with Trump that also yielded the diesel deal between the two countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that he, President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet next month to attempt to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine that would favor Moscow, said people familiar with the discussions. https://t.co/F43ytZwD6o
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 18, 2026
The Kremlin has suggested holding the trilateral dialogue on the sidelines of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, the WSJ report said, citing people familiar with the discussions. That summit is set to take place on November 18 to 19 in Shenzhen.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to the Journal that discussions were taking place over a potential meeting.
“There is no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting taking place,” he told the Wall Street Journal.
⚡️ JUST IN: Peskov says the “diesel deal” between Russia and the US is not linked to peace talks on Ukraine The Kremlin spokesman portrayed it as a separate economic agreement that serves the interests of both countries. “I do not see any direct connection here. In fact, this is a very mutually beneficial area of Russian-US cooperation. It serves the interests of the United States, the interests of global energy markets and the interests of Russia. That is why this is happening,” Peskov said. In other words, Moscow is not willing to make concessions on Ukraine in exchange for the opportunity to sell diesel fuel. What was Laura Loomer saying again? That Putin gave Trump a big middle finger?
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) October 13, 2026
A senior US official told the Journal that Trump had not agreed to such a summit, but he could be receptive to the idea.
Trump’s diesel deal with Putin and the executive order waiving sanctions on Moscow have drawn criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has warned it would embolden Putin and prolong the war.
Source: Agencies