Trump open to Putin, Xi trilateral summit but would focus on nuclear arms

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said he would be willing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping but indicated his focus would be on denuclearisation efforts rather than ending the war in Ukraine. 

“I would do it – not so much for Ukraine, because Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine,” Trump told reporters Oct 19.

“We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearisation,” he added. “We would schedule a meeting based on the denuclearisation, and that’s a very positive thing for the world.”

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on a push by Moscow to bring the three leaders together at a summit.

While there are no finalised plans for such a meeting, Trump suggested that it could happen in China. He is slated to visit the country in November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and for talks with Xi on the sidelines.

“If they’d like to have it, I think it would be held in China. He just left here,” Trump said, referring to Xi’s recent visit to Washington. “If President Xi wants to have it, I’d have it. I’m sure we’re talking about other things like trade too, but yeah, I would do that.”

Trump has courted Putin as he seeks a resolution to a war he once vowed to end on his first day in office. He’s faced criticism from Ukraine and its allies over a diesel deal with Russia that critics cast as an economic bailout for Moscow with questionable legal standing. Energy analysts have said the deal does little to help alleviate fuel costs for US consumers.

Trump has ratcheted up pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, casting the leader of the country Russia invaded as the main obstacle to peace. Zelensky has charged that the US has been pulling back on intelligence it provides to Kyiv, as the two leaders grow farther apart.

Holding a meeting with Putin and Xi to discuss Ukraine is likely to infuriate Kyiv and its allies who have long insisted that the country have a seat at any table to decide its future.

Trump indicated to reporters on Oct 19 that he would be willing to meet without the Ukrainian president, saying his focus was doing “anything I can do to end the war.”

The US leader also claimed Russia has done little to support Iran in its eight-month conflict with the US, and said he didn’t want to disrupt ongoing negotiations with Putin, which he said include talks about freeing a hostage.

“Russia could have done a lot more to help Iran,” Trump said. “Russia has done very little for Iran. China could have done a lot more for Iran.” BLOOMBERG