The key facts
- WSJ: Putin proposed a trilateral meeting on Ukraine to Trump; Beijing said Xi would not object if Trump is willing.
- Trump said he is ready if Xi wants it, and wants to discuss not the war but nuclear disarmament.
- Zelensky in a Bloomberg interview: the steps are pushing Ukraine toward capitulation.
Proposal for a Trilateral Meeting
According to The Wall Street Journal, in a phone call Putin proposed to Trump holding a trilateral meeting on the issue of the war in Ukraine. In the same call, the outlet writes, Putin proposed ending the war on terms acceptable to Moscow. Beijing, according to WSJ, made it clear that Chairman Xi would not object if Trump is ready for a meeting. There is an occasion: on November 18–19 the APEC summit will take place in China, where Trump, Xi and Putin could meet.
Trump's Reaction
The US president told journalists that he does not object to such a format, but wants to discuss at the meeting not the war but 'nuclear weapons.' 'If President Xi wants, I am ready,' Trump said. The outlet Kun.uz notes that Trump said 'I will meet if Xi wants,' but did not say 'if Xi and Putin want,' which, in the outlet's view, confirms that the initiative came from Putin. The Kremlin, according to the outlet, confirmed the existence of such a plan.
Kyiv's Reaction
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Bloomberg interview that Trump is pushing Kyiv toward surrender. 'I think steps have been taken that are pushing Ukraine toward capitulation. I do not want to think that our American partners believe the war can be ended faster by pressuring Ukraine, but that is exactly where everything is heading,' he said.
Context and Assessments
Kun.uz notes that a discussion of Ukraine's fate by the leaders of the US, Russia and China without Kyiv's participation would in itself be a serious signal for Europe. In the outlet's assessment, if such an agreement were reached with Putin's participation, it would be entirely in Russia's favor: recognition of Crimea as Russian, withdrawal from Donbas, the transfer of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, which Russia has included in its constitution. These formulations are the outlet's assessments, not confirmed agreements.
