Ukraine’s third president, Viktor Yushchenko, has criticised a possible meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping aimed at ending the war without the involvement of Ukraine or Europe. Speaking at a forum in Kyiv, he stated that talks at such a high level could legitimise the Russian leader and strengthen his international position.
Briefly about the main points
- Yushchenko spoke out against the format of the talks between the US, Russia and China.
- The former president emphasised the need for the involvement of a united, democratic Europe.
- The WSJ reported that the initiative was discussed on 9 October.
- Peskov confirmed that discussions had taken place, but no decision had been made regarding the summit.
- The Foreign Ministry believes that excluding Kyiv will encourage Russia to continue the war.
Yushchenko insists on European involvement
Yushchenko He spoke on 19 October at a forum in Kyiv marking the 20th anniversary of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance. He said that inviting Putin to the talks between the leaders of the three states gives the impression that the Russian leader retains his status as one of the key players in world politics, despite the war against Ukraine.
«I don’t like the fact that Putin is being legitimised as a criminal», said Ukraine’s third president. He described a united, democratic Europe as Ukraine’s main ally and believes that its absence from the negotiating table is a misguided direction for the diplomatic process.
The former president also rejected comparisons between a potential meeting and the 1945 Yalta Conference, where the Allies discussed the post-war order in Europe.
The possible meeting is linked to the APEC summit in Shenzhen
The Wall Street Journal reported that Putin suggested Trump and To Xi Jinping discuss an end to the war in Ukraine. According to Reuters, citing the WSJ, the Russian leader raised this idea during a telephone conversation with the US President on 9 October.
The publication’s sources claimed that the format did not provide for the participation of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, whilst the Kremlin was keen to reach an agreement on terms favourable to Moscow. The possible meeting was linked to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov He confirmed that the possibility of talks is being discussed, but no final decision has been made regarding the meeting or its agenda. The WSJ also reported that Trump had not agreed to take part in the proposed summit.
Sibiga proposed an alternative format for the negotiations
Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sibiga He spoke out against negotiations involving Russia, China and the US without Ukrainian representation. In his view, a trilateral format involving Ukraine, the US and Russia could help bring the war to a quicker end.
By contrast, according to the Foreign Minister, negotiations without Kyiv would have the opposite effect and could encourage Putin to continue military operations. Sibiga called on international partners not to elevate the Russian leader’s political status through meetings of this calibre.
The ICC warrant forms part of the international legal context
On 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin. He is suspected of war crimes relating to the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories to Russia.
An arrest warrant is not a conviction, and the criminal proceedings remain ongoing. As of 19 October, no agreement has been reached on the date, the participants or the agenda for the trilateral summit; Ukraine insists on taking part in discussions on ending the war.
