Trump Wants Ukraine Talks With Putin and Xi, Not Zelensky

A potential trilateral summit in China would bring together the leaders of the United States, Russia and China while the U.S. president openly questions whether Volodymyr Zelensky should continue representing Ukraine in negotiations

Donald Trump is contemplating a diplomatic format that would have been almost unthinkable at the start of the Russia-Ukraine war: negotiating Ukraine’s future directly with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, while publicly questioning whether Volodymyr Zelensky should remain Kyiv’s chief negotiator.

The proposal emerged as Trump signaled his willingness to hold a trilateral meeting with the Russian and Chinese leaders during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit scheduled for Nov. 18-19, 2026, in Shenzhen, China.

“If Putin and Xi wanted a trilateral meeting, I’d do it,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I’ll be in China in November to discuss denuclearization. And if we could achieve it, I would be doing the world a tremendous favor, a really tremendous favor.”

Beyond arms control, Trump indicated that Ukraine would inevitably be part of the discussion. The president made clear that channels with Moscow remain open despite the ongoing conflict.

“We’re negotiating with Putin on Ukraine. I have no intention of stopping the dialogue,” Trump said. He also praised Xi’s approach to the war, describing the Chinese president as “very fair” regarding both Ukraine and Russia.

The comments highlighted a growing divergence between Washington and Kyiv. While the White House says it is pursuing an end to the war, Trump has increasingly portrayed Zelensky as a barrier rather than a partner in that effort.

“I support ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. That’s my job,” Trump said. “And frankly, Zelensky isn’t helping very much. I believe he doesn’t want to end the conflict, whereas I want to stop people from dying.”

Trump emphasized the scale of U.S. support for Ukraine, citing weapons deliveries and intelligence cooperation that he said had continued throughout the conflict. He also dismissed allegations that explicit orders had been issued to slow the operation of the Starlink satellite network, a critical component of Ukraine’s military communications.

“I don’t know who did that. I’d like to find out,” he said.

The sharpest remarks were reserved for Zelensky himself. Trump argued that the Ukrainian leader should have reached a settlement long ago and suggested that Kyiv may need a different representative at the negotiating table.

“Zelensky is a man who should have settled this war a long time ago,” Trump said. “If he had listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago and a million people would be alive now.”

He then went a step further.

“I think it’s time for someone else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine. I believe it’s time for somebody else to represent Ukraine in these talks.”

The remarks echoed Trump’s repeated calls in recent weeks for elections in Ukraine, comments widely interpreted as support for a political transition in Kyiv. Yet moments later, he partially softened his position, insisting that ending the war remains his overriding objective regardless of who sits across the table.

“I would do anything in my power to end the war, regardless of who is there or who isn’t,” he said.

Moscow responded cautiously but positively to the idea of a leaders’ summit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the possibility had been mentioned because all three leaders could attend the gathering in China, while stressing that no formal proposal has been presented.

“There have been no concrete proposals or agreements regarding either a trilateral meeting or its agenda,” Peskov said. He added that the United States continues its mediation efforts aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine and that Moscow “appreciates them very much.”

The broader U.S.-Russia dialogue now appears to extend beyond the battlefield. Trump pointed to ongoing contacts with Putin on multiple issues, including an effort to secure the release of an American hostage held in Russia.

“I’m trying to obtain the release of an American hostage from Russia, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “It’s a matter that should be resolved soon.”

At the same time, he suggested that discussions with Putin on Ukraine remain active and that he sees little reason to abandon them.

“Naturally, we’re negotiating with him on Ukraine as well, so I have no intention of interrupting those talks right now,” Trump said. “Although I have the right to do so at any moment, with immediate effect. If things don’t go as expected, I can always do that.”

The message from the White House was unmistakable: Trump wants negotiations to continue, wants Putin at the table, wants Xi involved and is increasingly questioning whether Zelensky should remain central to the process.