Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House for a campaign rally in Kansas, President Trump said he would be open to a trilateral summit with Putin and Xi, which The Wall Street Journal reported Putin proposed during an Oct. 9 phone call. The meeting could take place at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, scheduled for Nov. 18 and 19.
"Anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody's there or not," Trump said when asked about meeting without Zelenskyy. He initially expressed more interest in discussing "denuclearization" with the two leaders, adding, "Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine. They haven't been doing much."
Trump also criticized Zelenskyy after the Ukrainian leader questioned Trump's decision to waive new sanctions against Russia and accused the president of being on the wrong side of history. "Zelenskyy doesn't know what he's talking about," Trump said, adding that "it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine" and repeating his prior call for Kyiv to "get a new president."
Earlier Monday, Zelenskyy said after a call with bipartisan U.S. lawmakers that Starlink and Starshield satellite services provided by SpaceX have recently been degraded, and that U.S. intelligence sharing has also been disrupted, leaving Ukraine without advance warning of Russian strikes. "No explanation for either of these issues has been provided to Ukraine by the American side," Zelenskyy said.
Trump said he does not know who ordered the interruption. Elon Musk stated last week that the U.S. government and Trump are "ultimately" responsible for any slowdowns, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied U.S. involvement. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Zelenskyy to be "very careful about making statements like this that aren't true."
Zelenskyy also showed lawmakers photos from a Russian attack in the Kharkiv region that killed six people, including a mother and her 1-year-old child. "This is how Russia responds to the lifting of sanctions and the easing of pressure," he said.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) issued a joint statement saying: "Funding Russia's war machine, disabling Ukraine's satellite communications, and crippling its air defense are all impediments to peace. Trying to appease a murderous thug like Vladimir Putin will only prolong this war and bring greater casualties."
Trump defended his approach, saying he is "not looking to break up negotiations" with Putin on deals pertaining to Ukraine, Iran, diesel and the release of hostages.