Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed meeting United States President Donald Trump in China, a suggestion that could bring the two leaders face to face as diplomatic efforts over the war in Ukraine continue. The Putin Trump China meeting proposal was raised as Putin welcomed US special envoy Steve Witkoff for talks in St Petersburg on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, according to Russian state television. No date or formal arrangement for such a meeting has been confirmed.
FAKTA: Putin Trump China Meeting Proposal
- Who: Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
- When and where: The proposal was raised during talks in St Petersburg on 21 October 2026; China was suggested as the venue.
- What was proposed: A meeting between Putin and Trump in China, alongside a possible three-way meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- Status: No date, format, or agenda has been agreed. The Kremlin says a three-way meeting is possible but is not currently on the agenda.
- Wider context: The APEC summit in Shenzhen on 18–19 November has been mentioned as a possible setting.
What was discussed in St Petersburg
Witkoff travelled to Russia a day after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo. According to Russian state television, Putin thanked Trump for his attention to the Ukraine conflict and offered to discuss restoring economic cooperation between Moscow and Washington.
Economic ties featured prominently in the talks. Witkoff thanked Putin over a diesel arrangement, and Russia is preparing tankers for first diesel deliveries to the United States following a deal that eases some sanctions on Russian fuel. A statement from the Russian presidential palace said Moscow would examine US proposals relating to Ukraine, adding that much of the responsibility for resolving the dispute rested with Ukraine.
China and the possible three-way talks
The Kremlin had previously raised the possibility that Putin, Trump, and Xi could hold three-way talks during the APEC summit in China next month. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed earlier in the week that the idea had been raised and that all three leaders could attend the Shenzhen summit, but said no specific proposals or agreements had been discussed, either on the meeting itself or on its possible agenda.
Ukraine has pushed back against a format that would exclude Kyiv. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha argued that a meeting of Russia, China, and the United States without Ukraine would only encourage Moscow to continue the war, and said talks should instead involve Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow. For now, the proposal remains a topic of discussion rather than a finalised plan.
What happens next
Diplomats will watch whether the China venue gains traction, and whether Washington responds publicly to the suggestion. Separately, technical-level talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine are expected to resume after 10 November, while fighting on the ground continues. Further details about any leaders’ meeting have yet to be announced. More international coverage is available on Watan News International’s English section.
