Trump says he expects talks with Xi and Putin at APEC summit in China

U.S. President Donald Trump said talks with China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin were likely to take place at next week's APEC leaders' summit in China. The Japan Times and Infobae both reported the remarks.

Neither Beijing nor Moscow has confirmed the meeting in the reports reviewed by Vocemundi.

According to Infobae, Trump spoke to reporters on Sunday night, before returning to Washington from Florida. He said one of his meetings at APEC would likely be with Putin and Xi. He said they would discuss many issues, including denuclearization. He also said he was trying to end the war in Iran. The reports do not describe the context of that remark.

The summit is scheduled for 18-19 November in Shenzhen, China, according to Infobae.

Background

Infobae reported that on 21 October the Kremlin described the first trilateral meeting of this kind as "en preparación" ("in preparation"). According to Infobae, Trump said in October that he was willing to take part in arms-control talks with Xi and Putin focused on denuclearization.

Infobae also cited a Wall Street Journal report. According to that report, Putin proposed using the three-leader meeting to discuss ending the war in Ukraine and to negotiate a peace deal favorable to Moscow.

Ukraine talks

According to Infobae, Trump said on Friday that he had spoken by phone with representatives of Russia and Ukraine. Delegations from both countries are scheduled to meet on 10-11 November in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, under U.S. mediation. The stated aim is to move toward a possible peace agreement.

In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, Trump said he believes Russia and Ukraine are close to an agreement, according to Infobae. He said such a deal would leave Ukraine with a somewhat different shape. He did not give details of possible terms.

What each side says

• Donald Trump: A meeting with Putin and Xi at APEC is likely. For the first time, Russia and Ukraine appear to want a deal. That deal would involve all of Europe, with the European Union taking part in future negotiations, according to Infobae.
• Kremlin: As of 21 October, the meeting was "in preparation", according to Infobae. The reports do not include a more recent Kremlin statement.
• Vladimir Putin: According to The Wall Street Journal, as cited by Infobae, he proposed using the meeting to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
• Beijing: The reports do not include any Chinese statement on the meeting.

What remains unclear

The reports do not describe a confirmed date, format or agenda for a trilateral meeting. They do not include any reaction from Ukraine, Russia or the European Union to Trump's comments on a peace deal. The Japan Times paraphrased Trump's remarks in English, while his direct quotes appear only in Spanish, as published by Infobae. Infobae credits AFP, EFE and Reuters collectively.

Analysis

The core claim rests on one event: Trump's own public remarks. Without statements from Beijing or a recent one from Moscow, the meeting remains a stated expectation, not a confirmed plan. Several scenarios are possible. The three leaders could meet as Trump described. They could hold only bilateral talks. Or no such meeting may happen at all. The topics also differ in the reports. Trump emphasized denuclearization. The Wall Street Journal, as cited by Infobae, reported that Putin wanted to focus on Ukraine. The Abu Dhabi talks on 10-11 November may offer an early signal of whether a peace agreement is gaining traction. However, any link to APEC is not established.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.