Kenneth Glad
Global diplomacy often happens behind closed doors before the public ever sees a handshake. Now, whispers of secret flights and high-stakes sit-downs are starting to paint a vivid picture. Some of the world’s most powerful leaders might soon share the same table.
Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon share a table with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The Kremlin just confirmed the possibility, according to Hot News.
This high-stakes trilateral meeting would take place at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Officials from 21 member nations will travel to Shenzhen for the massive gathering in late November.
Speaking from Bishkek during a regional security meeting, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov shared the update on state television. “Yes, this issue has been discussed,” he said.
He noted that all three presidents are expected to attend the APEC event: “And if things unfold as they said, then the three will be able to hold a meeting.”
Quiet moves in Moscow
The White House remains cautious about the November summit. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly stated, writes Reuters, “We have no announcements regarding President Trump’s attendance at APEC at this time.”
But American officials are already making moves elsewhere. CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly traveled to Moscow last week, according to Axios.
He reportedly pitched a different three-way summit to end the war in Ukraine. His bold proposal would bring Trump, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into the same room.
Stalled peace efforts
Peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow have faced major roadblocks. The Trump administration mediated discussions earlier this year, but those fragile efforts collapsed in mid-February when conflict suddenly erupted with Iran.
White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner spent recent months shuttling between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators. They held separate meetings to try and find common ground.
Despite their ongoing diplomatic push, those vital talks produced almost no real results.
Hope for September
A breakthrough could still happen this autumn. Kyrylo Budanov, who serves as Zelensky’s chief of staff, told local media on Thursday that US-mediated talks might finally resume in September.
Zelensky himself expressed quiet optimism on Friday. He publicly thanked Washington for maintaining the “necessary tone of conversation with Russia” during the long and difficult stalled negotiations.
The Ukrainian leader praised the current US approach. He noted that the Trump administration “promotes a realistic vision of what needs to be done and what needs to be achieved.”
Sources: Axios, Reuters, Hot News
