Putin reportedly proposes US-Russia-China summit on Ukraine without Zelenskyy

Reported phone call with Trump suggests trilateral meeting at APEC; Kyiv warns of capitulation

By LineZotpaper

Published19 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly proposed a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to broker an end to the Ukraine war, a meeting that would exclude Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The suggestion, made during an Oct. 9 phone call with Trump, was reported by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, citing a former Russian intelligence official briefed on the matter. The potential gathering may take place at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November.

The reported proposal comes amid mounting tensions between Washington and Kyiv, as the Trump administration has taken steps seen as moving closer to Moscow. Over the weekend, Trump defended lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports and issued an executive order waiving new Russia sanctions from a bill introduced by the late Senator Lindsey Graham.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced alarm, writing on X that "the decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me." In a Bloomberg interview Sunday, he said "steps have been taken to convince Ukraine to capitulate," adding: "I am not saying that this is the goal our partners are pursuing. I don't want to think that our American partners believe the war could be ended sooner at Ukraine's expense. But that's how it looks."

Trump responded on Truth Social, accusing Zelenskyy of not wanting to end the war and stating that his sanctions relief was intended not to "do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table." The Institute for the Study of War, however, argued in a report that the executive order "does not support Trump's stated foreign policy objectives of ending the war in Ukraine and will only enable Russia to continue financing and protracting the war in Ukraine without any proper incentives."

Last week, Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" urging Ukraine to stop striking Russian energy infrastructure, claiming it was driving up diesel prices. While Moscow continued strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, Kyiv paused strikes for three days before resuming them Thursday. Over the weekend, Ukraine launched over 1,000 drones into Russia, hitting an oil terminal and refinery near St. Petersburg, while Russia struck Kyiv with ballistic missiles.

Separately, Kyiv accused Washington of ordering restrictions on SpaceX's Starshield satellite services, which Ukraine's military uses to control drones and defend against strikes. Trump denied the White House ordered any restrictions. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on X that "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government." The restrictions blocked connectivity for platforms moving faster than 160 kilometers per hour, including interceptor drones. Ukrainian media reported Zelenskyy calling it a "planned operation," noting that Ukraine had tested Starlink in EU countries without encountering such limits. Reuters reported, citing two U.S. officials, that the restriction order came from the White House. The Telegraph reported that Musk had approached Trump with the idea of slowing down Starlink in Ukraine.

Analysis

Why This Matters

A summit excluding Ukraine would mark a dramatic shift in Western diplomacy, potentially sidelining Kyiv from decisions about its own sovereignty.
The reported proposal signals deepening US-Russia backchannel talks, alarming European allies and some Trump Republicans.
Starlink restrictions could cripple Ukraine's battlefield coordination, changing the war's trajectory.

Background

Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the United States has been Ukraine's largest military and financial backer. The Trump administration, which took office in January 2025, has pursued a more transactional approach, seeking direct negotiations with Moscow. The reported Putin-Trump-Xi summit would be the highest-level trilateral meeting on the conflict, bypassing Ukraine and potentially setting terms for a settlement.

Key Perspectives

The Trump administration: Argues it is clearing obstacles to peace by drawing Russia to the bargaining table through sanctions relief and direct dialogue. Views energy infrastructure strikes as counterproductive to global fuel prices and negotiation. Ukraine (Zelenskyy government): Sees the moves as rewarding Russian aggression and pressuring Kyiv into concessions without reciprocal steps from Moscow. Warns that restricting Starlink and pausing sanctions only embolden Russia. Russia (Putin): Has not commented publicly on the reported summit proposal, but appears willing to negotiate directly with Washington and Beijing while continuing military operations. Critics/Skeptics: The Institute for the Study of War and some Republican lawmakers argue that sanctions relief without prior Russian concessions enables Moscow to prolong the war. European allies fear a US-Russia deal that sacrifices Ukrainian and European security interests.

What to Watch

The APEC summit in Shenzhen in November: whether the three leaders meet and what terms emerge.
The status of Starlink restrictions: will they remain in place or be reversed?
Further US sanctions waivers: any sign of a broader pattern of concessions to Russia.

Sources

Putin reportedly suggests summit with Trump and Xi to decide fate of Ukraine · US Top News and Analysis

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedHeadline: Putin reportedly proposes a US-Russia-China summit on Ukraine without ZelenskyyUS Top News and Analysis: “Putin reportedly suggests summit with Trump and Xi to decide fate of Ukraine.”
Partly supportedSummary: the reported phone call 'suggests' a trilateral meeting at APECUS Top News and Analysis: “The summit is not confirmed, but if it takes place will not involve Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and may take place at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit”
SupportedPutin suggested a summit with Trump and Xi during an Oct. 9 phone call with Trump, as reported by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, citing a former Russian intelligence officialUS Top News and Analysis: “reported on Monday, citing a former Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter”
SupportedThe potential gathering may take place at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, in NovemberUS Top News and Analysis: “may take place at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November in the Chinese city of Shenzhen”
SupportedZelenskyy wrote on X that 'the decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me.'US Top News and Analysis: “the decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me.”
SupportedIn a Bloomberg interview on Sunday, Zelenskyy said 'steps have been taken to convince Ukraine to capitulate'US Top News and Analysis: “steps have been taken to convince Ukraine to capitulate.”
SupportedTrump accused Zelenskyy on Truth Social of not wanting to end the war and said his sanctions relief was not meant to 'do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table'US Top News and Analysis: “do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.”
Partly supportedKyiv accused Washington of ordering restrictions on SpaceX's Starshield, which Ukraine's military uses to control drones and defend against strikesUS Top News and Analysis: “which it uses to control military forces and defend against Russian strikes”
Partly supportedReuters reported, citing two U.S. officials, that the restriction order came from the White HouseUS Top News and Analysis: “that the call to restrict Starlink in Ukraine came from the White House, but did not say who made the order.”
SupportedThe Telegraph reported that Musk had approached Trump with the idea of slowing down Starlink in UkraineUS Top News and Analysis: “approached Donald Trump with the idea of slowing down Starlink in Ukraine”
SupportedMusk said on X that 'Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government.'US Top News and Analysis: “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government.”
SupportedUkraine launched over 1,000 drones into Russia over the weekend, hitting an oil terminal and refinery near St. PetersburgUS Top News and Analysis: “launching a strike of over 1,000 drones into Russia”