The key facts
- Putin intends to discuss with Witkoff a possible meeting with Trump in China and share his 'thoughts' on the matter
- Other topics of the talks include the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict and the situation in the Persian Gulf
- The APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18–19 is named as a possible venue; the Kremlin previously clarified that no agreements on the summit have been reached yet
Talks in St. Petersburg
Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with the American leader's special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, plans to discuss the possibility of a personal meeting with Donald Trump in China. According to Life.ru, the Russian leader already has certain thoughts on the matter, which he intends to share. 'These and other topics could certainly be at the center of our exchange today, including a possible meeting in the People's Republic of China. There are also some thoughts here that I would like to share with you,' Putin said to the American representative.
Topics of the Talks and the Oslo Outcome
In addition to a possible meeting with Trump, the parties intend to discuss the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict and the situation in the Persian Gulf. The day before, Witkoff held talks with representatives of Ukraine and European countries in Oslo, dedicated to finding ways to end the conflict. At the beginning of the meeting, Putin asked about the results of those consultations.
Context of the Trilateral Format
Earlier, Donald Trump expressed readiness to hold a trilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin and PRC Chairman Xi Jinping. The American leader allowed for the talks to be held in China and suggested that one of the main topics could be the reduction of nuclear weapons. At the same time, the Kremlin clarified that there are no specific agreements on organizing the summit yet. Putin had allowed for the possibility of such a format back on October 1 at a meeting of the Valdai Club, noting that holding the talks largely depends on China as the host country. The APEC summit in Shenzhen, scheduled for November 18–19, could serve as the presumed venue. According to the Russian leader, first of all it is necessary to determine the range of issues that could form the basis of a meeting of the three presidents.
