Diplomacy among the world's major powers is picking up pace, with President Trump signaling that a three-way summit with the leaders of Russia and China could take place within days.
According to reports, Trump has said a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely next week, with Ukraine and Iran expected to be high on the agenda. The timing lines up closely with China's hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19, suggesting the gathering could take place on the sidelines of that larger summit. It would mark the third meeting of the year between Trump and Xi, following a state visit by Trump to Beijing in May and a visit by Xi to the United States in September.
The backdrop is a year of unusually active, if still unresolved, diplomacy around two of the world's most difficult conflicts. The war in Ukraine, now well into its fifth year, has seen periodic rounds of talks without a comprehensive settlement, while tensions involving Iran have see-sawed between periods of open conflict and signs of de-escalation, including the drop in oil prices this week tied to reduced fears of renewed strikes. European officials have also been active on the Ukraine track, with the European Union preparing to send a joint team to separate Ukraine-Russia talks being held in Abu Dhabi.
Officials in Beijing have signaled they intend to keep working with Washington regardless of the political noise around November's midterm elections. China's Foreign Ministry described the U.S. elections as a domestic matter for the United States and said it remains focused on building on the understandings reached between the two heads of state. A trilateral summit, if it happens, would be a rare instance of the leaders of the United States, Russia, and China appearing together on the same difficult set of issues.
Watch for confirmation of dates and location as the APEC summit in Shenzhen approaches on November 18 and 19.
Would this be the first meeting between all three leaders?
Reports describe it as a trilateral summit involving Trump, Putin, and Xi together, which would be a notable and rare format for the three leaders.
Has a date been confirmed?
Not formally; reports describe the meeting as likely next week, with timing that appears to align with China's APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19.