On 19 October, Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga stated that a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, without Ukraine’s participation, would, in his view, encourage the Kremlin to continue the war. He emphasised that Kyiv supports a negotiation format involving Ukraine, the US and Russia.
Briefly about the main points
- Sybiga spoke out against a possible Russia–China–US format that excludes Ukraine.
- The minister believes that such a summit will encourage the Kremlin to continue the war.
- Kyiv supports the negotiations between Ukraine, the US and Russia.
- Peskov and Rubio confirmed that discussions had taken place, but not that a decision had been made regarding a meeting.
What position did the Foreign Secretary express?
In a post on X Siberia said. talks between the three leaders without Ukrainian representatives will have the opposite effect to that of a peaceful settlement. In his view, participation Putin In this form, it would strengthen the Kremlin’s international position without Moscow taking any concrete steps to end the war.
The minister described the Ukraine–US–Russia format as more promising. He cited Russia’s agreement to a ceasefire ahead of the summit as one possible sign of its readiness for substantive negotiations.
«He is not a world leader, but a war criminal. Russia is not a world power, but a global problem,» Sibiga said. In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin on suspicion of war crimes relating to the unlawful transfer of Ukrainian children.
What is known about Putin’s proposal
Putin proposed Trump and Si to hold a trilateral meeting to discuss a settlement to the war in Ukraine. According to the publication, this proposal may have been discussed during a telephone conversation between Putin and Trump on 9 October.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there was no clarity regarding the meeting or its possible agenda. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also confirmed that the possibility of such a meeting had been discussed, but did not announce any decision regarding its organisation.
Shenzhen is being mentioned as a possible venue
Shenzhen in China was mentioned as one of the possible venues. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is scheduled to take place in that city on 18–19 November 2026.
At the same time, there has been no official announcement regarding a separate meeting between Trump, Xi and Putin within the framework of APEC or in any other format. As of 19 October, the potential summit remains under discussion, with no agreed date, format or agenda.
