Putin proposes a summit with Trump and Xi to resolve Ukraine's fate

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Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed holding a tripartite summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, in a move aimed at reaching a settlement that is in Moscow's interest.

According to an exclusive report published by the American newspaper "The Wall Street Journal" on Sunday, citing people familiar with the discussions, Putin raised the idea of ​​meeting with Trump and Xi to discuss the future of Ukraine, in an attempt to end the war that has been going on for nearly 4 years under conditions favorable to Russia.

The newspaper explained that the proposal comes within the framework of the Russian President’s efforts to benefit from the improvement in his relationship with Trump and push the negotiations towards results that serve Russian interests.

What is striking about the Russian proposal is that it does not include the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, even though the upcoming meeting, if held, will discuss the future of his country and the conditions for ending the war.

The newspaper considered that holding a summit of this kind, without the presence of the Ukrainian president, would be an unusual precedent, and might raise widespread concern in European capitals and beyond.

She pointed out that the growing rapprochement between Trump and Putin has already raised concerns among Ukraine and its allies in Washington and Europe, especially about the possibility of reaching understandings that do not take into account Ukrainian demands.

The unveiling of the proposal comes after new statements by Trump in which he stressed that he does not want to take any steps that might push Russia away from the negotiating table regarding Ukraine.

The US President said, in a post on his “Truth Social” platform, that he is making great progress in peace efforts, stressing his desire to keep Moscow involved in the talks.

He also strongly criticized Zelensky, accusing him of not wanting to end the war, considering that he could have reached a better agreement two years ago.

The information published in the Wall Street Journal report did not include details about the location of the proposed summit, or whether Trump and Xi had agreed to participate in it.

Thus, the tripartite meeting remains a Russian proposal whose agreement has not been announced, while the idea of ​​discussing the fate of Ukraine without the participation of its leadership raises questions about the role of Kiev and its European allies in any possible settlement.