Trump says he is ready to meet Putin and Xi in China

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he was ready to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping in China next month, saying any summit would focus on nuclear weapons and denuclearization but could also include the war in Ukraine.

Asked whether he would attend a meeting with Putin and Xi to discuss Ukraine, Trump told reporters: “I would do it, not so much for Ukraine.” He said: “We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearization.”

Pressed on whether he would discuss Ukraine at such a meeting, Trump said he would do “whatever I can do to end the war.”

The Kremlin said earlier that the Russian, Chinese and US leaders could potentially meet at an Asia-Pacific summit in Shenzhen next month. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the topic of a hypothetical meeting had been mentioned, but added that no substantive proposals or agreements on the meeting or its agenda had been discussed or put forward.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is scheduled for November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen. China, Russia and the United States are all members of the group.

China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said she had no information about a possible meeting.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga objected to the idea of a meeting without Kyiv, saying a trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China and the United States would encourage Putin to continue the war.

Trump also renewed criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying it was “time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.” Peskov said a final settlement was impossible without participation by someone from Kyiv prepared to take responsibility.