Diplomatic activity around the war in Ukraine has intensified, with Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly proposing a three-way summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ending the conflict, a format that would notably exclude Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the table.
The idea was reportedly raised during a phone call between Putin and Trump on October 9, with officials suggesting the gathering could take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, this November.
Zelenskyy has said the war “must be brought to an end” and that Ukraine is preparing for the next phase of diplomacy, telling reporters he has been in constant contact with US envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser Jared Kushner as part of ongoing efforts to secure a durable peace.
Tensions between Washington and Kyiv flared after Ukraine launched one of its largest drone strikes of the year on a Russian oil terminal, defying Trump's calls to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Trump criticized the strike, saying he did not want to do anything that would "foolishly" drive Russia away from the negotiating table.
Trump has separately moved to ease economic pressure on Moscow, waiving sanctions on imports of Russian diesel and invoking an exemption from broader congressionally mandated penalties, a decision that drew criticism even from members of his own party.
With a potential Trump-Putin-Xi summit now under discussion and Kyiv pressing for inclusion in any settlement talks, the coming weeks are likely to test whether Ukraine can secure a seat at the table for negotiations that could determine the shape of any eventual peace deal.
