Kremlin: China ‘Already Preparing’ US-Russia-China Summit at APEC in Shenzhen

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that China has already started preparing a meeting of the leaders of Russia, the United States and China and, "given a favourable combination of circumstances," will include it in the programme of the APEC summit in Shenzhen. He spoke after Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on October 21, as reported by Interfax and cited by European Pravda.

"Our Chinese friends, the hosts of the APEC summit, will take up, or rather are already taking up, its preparation. And given a favourable combination of circumstances, they, our Chinese friends, will of course include this meeting in the programme of events in Shenzhen," Ushakov said.

Putin also met Li Qiang

Ushakov said the possibility of a Russia-US-China summit in Shenzhen came up in Putin's talks with Witkoff, and that none of the three capitals rejects the idea. After meeting Witkoff, Putin also met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in St Petersburg. The Russian leader said that at the APEC summit in China there would be an opportunity to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

What came before

The Wall Street Journal reported that Putin proposed holding a meeting next month with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. On October 19, Trump said he was ready to meet Putin and Xi to discuss ways to end the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US, China and Russia may hold trilateral meetings among themselves, but on questions concerning Ukraine, Ukraine itself must be at the negotiating table.

Separately, Putin told Witkoff that Russia is ready to resume trilateral talks with the US and Ukraine in November, as we reported. More in our world news.