Trump Reportedly Plans to Meet Putin and Xi Jinping in China to Discuss Ending Iran War

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that he might hold a trilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China. Trump stated that these discussions would focus on efforts to end the war in Iran and address denuclearization.

This potential summit is expected to take place during the Asia-Pacific Summit in Shenzhen, China, scheduled for November 18-19. The Kremlin had also confirmed on October 21 that such a meeting was being prepared.

Highlights

• Donald Trump announced plans for a potential trilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in China.
• Key topics for discussion include ending the war in Iran and denuclearization.
• The meeting is anticipated to occur during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen.
• The Kremlin confirmed that preparations for such a three-way meeting were underway.
• Experts suggest the meeting might be more of a diplomatic 'photo opportunity' than a substantive discussion, given the leaders' differing interests.

Details

Speaking to reporters, Donald Trump said he would be traveling to China and thought a meeting with Putin and Xi Jinping would be "interesting." The former president emphasized that they would "talk a lot of things, including denuclearization," and that they were "trying to end the war in Iran."

According to an earlier Wall Street Journal report, Putin reportedly sought these three-way talks to broker a peace deal in Ukraine favorable to Moscow, which invaded Ukraine in 2022. Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, commented, "China wants the image but not the costs." Danny Russel, a former senior State Department official, added that Putin has the most to gain from such a trilateral summit, and the Russians are clearly pushing for the meeting.

Trump is expected to travel to Shenzhen to meet Xi for the third time this year, against the backdrop of a fragile trade truce set to expire in January. Experts also suggest that Trump's willingness to meet with Putin signals a desire to end Russia's isolation triggered by its invasion of Ukraine.

Why it matters

This potential trilateral summit is historically significant as it would bring together three of the world's most influential leaders. The possibility of addressing global issues such as ending the war in Iran and denuclearization could open a new chapter in international relations. However, experts caution that due to differing interests, the meeting might carry more symbolic diplomatic weight than produce concrete outcomes.