Beijing confirms talks for rare three-way meeting of Xi, Trump, and Putin

Beijing confirmed this week that it is in active discussions regarding a historic gathering between Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, stated that China is communicating with relevant parties about a meeting between the three heads of state. The potential summit could occur on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which is scheduled to take place in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen this month.

Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, suggested that Russia would likely use this summit to move China and the United States closer to Moscow’s positions on the war in Ukraine. However, Danny Russel, a former senior State Department official and a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said that Trump has been advised by his team to keep Ukraine off the agenda for these specific discussions.

While diplomatic talks continue, physical attacks on Ukraine persisted over the weekend. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeated his call for allies to rapidly supply Kyiv with missiles for the US-made Patriot system to protect Ukrainian cities. Zelenskyy warned on Friday that the military is preparing for new strikes on vital infrastructure. He stated, "We have intelligence at this time that Russia is preparing new strikes on energy, on bridges across the Dnipro, on civilian infrastructure. The air force and the armed forces of Ukraine as a whole are preparing for defence. It will not be easy."

Russian forces launched a missile attack early on Saturday that damaged a residential building in Kyiv, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The city’s military administration reported on Telegram that two people were injured and a building housing a kindergarten was damaged. Officials continued to warn residents of the potential for further strikes for hours after the initial impact. This attack continues a pattern of near-constant strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities over the past several weeks.

President Zelenskyy has emphasized the need for specific guarantees from Western allies regarding postwar security support. His comments, made in an interview aired late Thursday, followed two days of discussions among allies in Brussels that focused on security and reconstruction. These remarks also preceded planned three-way talks in Abu Dhabi next week between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, which will be the first trilateral peace discussions since February.

Zelenskyy stated, "What matters is that it’s clear on paper. The question isn’t dozens of points, but simply an understanding of the outcome: If Russia starts [attacking] again, what will happen? Who will do what, with what means, and when?" He is seeking a clear definition of how support would function if the conflict reignites.

Ukrainian lead negotiator Rustem Umerov described the Brussels meetings, which brought together officials from the US, UK, France, Germany, and the European Union, along with representatives from the World Bank and the US investment group BlackRock. Umerov wrote in an online post that the group separately discussed the threats from Russia to Ukraine and all of Europe, as well as joint steps to counter them.

The upcoming Abu Dhabi talks represent a continuation of diplomatic efforts to end the war. The previous trilateral discussions took place in February. Officials from the five Western nations and international financial bodies met in Brussels to coordinate their approaches. The focus of these meetings has been on defining the mechanics of postwar security and the scope of reconstruction aid.

The potential meeting in Shenzhen would bring the leaders of the world's three largest economies together in one room. The Apec summit is set to be held in Shenzhen this month. Beijing’s confirmation of ongoing communications marks a formal step toward scheduling this high-level encounter. The outcome of these diplomatic efforts remains tied to the progress of the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.

Zelenskyy’s push for written guarantees aims to resolve ambiguity in the alliance commitments. The Brussels discussions included representatives from major European powers and US financial institutions. The next major diplomatic event is the scheduled meeting in Abu Dhabi. These talks are expected to address the terms of any potential peace deal, including the specific mechanisms for security guarantees.