Putin Proposes Trump-Xi Summit on Ukraine Without Zelenskyy — WSJ

On October 19, The Wall Street Journal, citing sources including a former Russian intelligence officer, reported that Putin wants to bring together the leaders of the U.S., China, and Russia in Shenzhen on November 18–19, when the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is scheduled there. The topic: “settling” the war in Ukraine. The format: without Ukraine.

The proposal was made during a phone call between Putin and Trump on October 9. During the same call, according to WSJ, the two agreed on a U.S. purchase of Russian diesel fuel — a move that has already raised eyebrows in Kyiv and Brussels.

The White House has not officially agreed to the summit. But a senior U.S. official told WSJ that Trump “may be open to the idea” — largely driven by his campaign promise to “end the war in 24 hours.” Trump has publicly stated that Zelenskyy “doesn’t want to end the war” and that Ukraine “lies in ruins.” This is not just rhetoric: the U.S. administration, per WSJ, has threatened to cut off intelligence sharing with Ukraine if its military strikes Russian energy facilities again.

China, for its part, has signaled it would not object if Trump joins. For Xi Jinping, this is a chance to bolster his role as a global mediator, though there are risks: direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict could strain ties with Europe.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to WSJ that “discussions of a possible meeting are ongoing,” but added: “there is still no clear understanding of the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three sides acknowledge the hypothetical possibility.”

The real story is not whether the summit will happen — it’s what it represents. The former Russian intelligence officer quoted by WSJ described Putin’s ambitions as “broad, though unrealistic”: he envisions a second Yalta Conference — a division of the world into spheres of influence. In 1945, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill decided the fate of Europe without the Europeans. Now Putin appears to want to repeat the trick — with Ukraine on the table instead of Europe, and Xi Jinping in Churchill’s chair.

This raises the central question: can world leaders decide Ukraine’s future without Ukraine?

Formally, yes. Informally, it would mean accepting that sovereignty and territorial integrity are not principles but bargaining chips in great-power politics. For Kyiv, this is a red line. But in a reality where the U.S. pressures Ukraine with intelligence blackouts and Europe watches in silence, that line may prove quite faint.

As of the morning of October 19, no separate reaction from President Zelenskyy to the WSJ report is available. However, on the same day, he stated that “actions by the U.S. look like pressure to capitulate.” Kyiv seems to sense the shifting winds.

Whether Trump will agree to the summit remains unknown. Whether Putin will attend is also uncertain, though the Kremlin is clearly interested. Whether China is ready to sit down with Russia and the U.S. without Europeans or Ukrainians — apparently, yes.

But if this summit takes place, it will be more than a meeting of leaders. It will be a bid for a new world order where only those with nuclear weapons have a seat at the table. Everyone else is just what’s on the menu.

And that may be the most alarming news of all.