DOMINANT ANGLE
The United States is weighing Putin's summit offer in light of lifted sanctions and criticism from Kiev, Congress, and European allies, with Rubio remaining open to all options.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Putin proposed a summit with Xi Jinping to Trump on October 9, during a call, possibly at the APEC in Shenzhen in November (WSJ cited by CNBC and The Hill).
- 02
Marco Rubio: the president is "open to anything" to end the war, nothing is finalized (The Hill).
- 03
The same call resulted in a waiver to sanctions to buy Russian diesel, criticized by Kiev and its Congressional allies (The Hill).
ANALYSIS
Washington, October 19, 2026. The American press reports, according to the Wall Street Journal, that Vladimir Putin proposed to Donald Trump, during a call on October 9, a three-way summit with Xi Jinping to negotiate the end of the war in Ukraine. CNBC specifies that the Journal cites a former Russian intelligence officer informed of the case. The meeting, unconfirmed, would take place without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and could occur in November at the APEC summit in Shenzhen.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on a trip to Uzbekistan and also a national security advisor, confirmed discussions about a meeting. According to The Hill, he stated that the president is "open to anything" that can help end the war, "if possible," while specifying that nothing is finalized. The Journal reports that Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov confirmed discussions about a potential trilateral meeting. The White House and the Chinese embassy had not responded to The Hill.
The context is just as significant as the proposal. The same call resulted in Trump's announcement of a waiver of sanctions to buy Russian diesel, in order to lower prices exacerbated by the US war against Iran, The Hill specifies. Trump also suspended new sanctions targeting major Russian energy importers. These decisions have, according to The Hill, provoked "widespread condemnation" from Kiev and its allies in Congress; CNBC mentions the alarm of European allies and criticism from within the Republican camp. The Hill adds that information suggests a slowdown ordered by the White House of satellite services that Ukraine depends on for its air defense.
Trump is defending his stance. On Truth Social, he accuses Zelensky of not wanting to end the war and claims he does not want to do anything that "foolishly" distances Russia from the negotiating table. Zelensky judged on X that canceling and blocking all this seemed like an error to him. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X on Monday that a summit excluding Kiev is unacceptable to Ukraine. CNBC situates the episode in a climate of increasing tensions between Ukraine and the United States, its primary military supporter.
