The leaders of the United States, China and Russia plan to hold a joint meeting next week in Shenzhen, China, the White House said on Friday, in what would be the first three-way meeting of its kind.
According to Euronews and Al Jazeera, the Trump Xi Putin meeting is planned for the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where leaders gather November 18–19. Neither outlet reported a specific time for the talks.
The story in 7 points
- The White House says President Donald Trump, China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin will hold a joint meeting next week.
- The talks are planned for Shenzhen, China, on the sidelines of the APEC summit, which runs November 18–19.
- It would be the first time the three leaders have met together in this format.
- Nuclear weapons reduction is on the agenda, along with the Iran war, according to US officials.
- The war in Ukraine is not expected to be discussed, officials say; the US has a separate track for that.
- A senior US official told Reuters Washington does not expect any agreement, calling it the start of a conversation.
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced concern the meeting could be used to cut a deal without Kyiv.
Trump will travel to the region first, leaving Washington on Monday for the Philippines to attend an ASEAN meeting before heading to Shenzhen, Euronews reported. He is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Xi in the city. Officials said Elon Musk will travel with Trump to China but will not take part in the three-way talks.
The idea has been circulating for weeks. The Financial Times reported on November 3 that the three countries were discussing a possible summit, and Russia’s Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said then that preparations were under way. Trump said in October he was open to a meeting to discuss nuclear weapons and trade.
According to Al Jazeera, the talks come nine months after New START, the last US-Russia nuclear arms treaty, expired in February. Trump rejected Russia’s offer to extend it for a year and has asked for a new, modernized deal that includes China. Peskov called the meeting “extremely significant” but rejected comparisons to the 1945 Yalta conference, saying agreements reached in Shenzhen cannot be imposed on others.
Expectations are modest. A senior Trump administration official told Reuters the United States does not expect to reach any agreement and sees the session as the start of a conversation. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he worries the gathering could become a venue for discussing a Ukraine deal behind Kyiv’s back.
Why it matters
A joint meeting of the three leaders would put the world’s three largest nuclear powers at the same table at a time when the last major US-Russia arms control treaty has lapsed. Al Jazeera, citing SIPRI, reported that Russia has the most nuclear warheads, followed by the United States and China. Any movement, even a framework for talks, could shape global arms control, and the Iran war and trade tensions are also expected to figure in the discussions around the Shenzhen APEC summit.
What happens next: Trump departs on Monday, and the APEC leaders’ meeting begins November 18. Moscow and Beijing had not commented on the reported meeting when Euronews published, so the exact format and timing remain to be confirmed.
Key questions
When is the Trump Xi Putin meeting?
The White House says the Trump Xi Putin meeting will take place next week in Shenzhen, China, on the sidelines of the APEC summit, which runs November 18–19. Officials have not published an exact time for the three-way talks. Trump is due to leave Washington on Monday for the Philippines before travelling on to China.
Where will Trump, Xi and Putin meet?
Trump, Xi and Putin are set to meet in Shenzhen, a technology hub in southeastern China, according to the White House. The meeting is planned for the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which brings together 21 member economies. Shenzhen is also where Trump will hold a separate bilateral meeting with Xi.
What will the three leaders discuss?
The three leaders are expected to discuss reducing nuclear weapons, according to White House spokesperson Olivia Wales. Trump is also expected to raise the Iran war, officials told AFP. Ukraine is not expected to be on the agenda, and a senior US official said Washington handles that issue on a separate diplomatic track.
Sources: Euronews, Al Jazeera, Associated Press