The White House says Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin will meet on Thursday in Shenzhen alongside the APEC summit, but Ukraine is outside the announced format. Washington has placed nuclear-arms reduction and Iran on the agenda, while keeping its Ukraine discussions with Kyiv and Moscow on a separate track.
That distinction answers the central question about the meeting. A three-way encounter between the US, Chinese and Russian presidents is politically significant, but the agenda described by Washington is limited rather than a negotiation covering every major security crisis.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said Trump intended to discuss, among other issues, reducing the number of nuclear weapons worldwide. An unnamed US official said Trump also intended to raise Iran during the trilateral meeting.
The same official said Washington was conducting a separate set of discussions with Kyiv and Moscow, in which China was not really involved, and said Ukraine did not appear appropriate for the Shenzhen format. On the evidence available, the meeting therefore brings the three leaders into contact on selected files; it does not replace the diplomatic channel dealing with Russia's war against Ukraine.
The distinction matters because summit imagery can suggest a broader mandate than the announced agenda supports. Talks among Trump, Xi and Putin could still affect the wider diplomatic climate, but no joint commitment on nuclear weapons or Iran has been announced. France 24 also reports that Trump is due to have lunch with Xi on Thursday.
Sources
- France 24 Tous titres · Source date: 2026-11-14
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-14
Trump, Xi and Putin to meet in Shenzhen: nuclear arms and Iran on agenda