ST PETERSBURG, Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a meeting with US President Donald Trump in China as he welcomed Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff for talks in St Petersburg on Wednesday, Russian state television reported.
The Kremlin on Monday raised the possibility that Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could hold three-way talks during an Asia-Pacific summit in China next month.
Putin also offered to talk about restoring economic cooperation between Moscow and Washington, state TV said.
‘We previously discussed putting an end to the Ukrainian conflict — the casualties on both sides’ — Putin
The Russian president asked Witkoff to convey gratitude to President Trump and the First Lady for their contribution to resolving humanitarian matters https://t.co/W6wP3FnsC1
— RT Intl (@RT_on_X) October 21, 2026
The talks in St Petersburg, the ninth time that Witkoff has met Putin in person, began with a goodwill gesture from Russia — the release of a retired US school teacher held in Russia.
The meeting comes amid concerns in Kyiv and among its allies that the United States is backing away from Ukraine, at times holding back real-time intelligence on Russian attacks and hobbling Ukraine’s military communications.
The latest talks came more than two years after US President Donald Trump promised in his successful election campaign to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours.
Witkoff’s Visit to Russia
Witkoff flew into Russia’s second city on Wednesday morning, a day after holding what a US official called “constructive” talks in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
US-Ukraine ties have deteriorated sharply since Trump announced a diesel export deal with Russia earlier this month to help lower prices in the United States.
High fuel costs since Trump launched strikes on Iran have hurt his Republicans ahead of November midterm elections.
Also Read: Trump, Xi and Putin Could Meet at Asia-Pacific Summit in China: Kremlin
Witkoff would aim to “create a pathway towards direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations,” the US official said, according to Reuters.
Zelensky said he hoped to discuss key issues on how to end the war during a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump.
The Kremlin has repeatedly said that any Putin-Zelensky meeting would need to be painstakingly prepared in advance by aides to make it worthwhile and that a lot of the legwork required for an overall agreement would need to be in place.
Trump Wants Zelensky to ‘Make Deal’ with Russia
On Tuesday, Trump said he wanted Zelensky to reach a deal with Russia to end the war.
“We want Zelensky to make a deal. He can make a deal,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “He’s going to have to want to make a deal, because I don’t think his people are going to stand for it any longer.”
The remarks came as Zelensky met US envoys in Oslo and called for Ukraine to be included in any discussions involving Washington, Moscow and Beijing.
The diplomatic efforts come amid strained relations between Kyiv and Washington, renewed US intelligence sharing with Ukraine and reports of a possible meeting between Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Ukraine Insists on Seat at Negotiating Table
Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine’s participation was essential in any meeting between the leaders of the United States, Russia and China if the discussions concerned the war or Ukraine’s future.
“I don’t know what the trilateral meeting will be about between America, China, and Russia; it’s up to them,” Zelensky told reporters in Oslo.
“But of course, if there are issues about Ukraine, our future, it can be acceptable only when we are at the table of negotiations. It’s absolutely clear.”
The Kremlin said on Monday that a meeting involving Trump, Putin and Xi could potentially take place at an upcoming Asia-Pacific summit in China. However, it stressed that no concrete proposals or agreements on a meeting or its agenda had been discussed.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is scheduled to take place in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19. The United States, Russia and China are all members of the grouping.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the possibility of a meeting had been mentioned, but said no substantive proposals had been put forward.
“It goes without saying that a final settlement is impossible without the participation of someone from Kyiv who is prepared to take on the responsibility,” Peskov said when asked whether Putin believed a deal could be reached without Ukraine.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Putin wanted a summit with Trump and Xi to discuss the war and hoped to broker a peace deal. The report cited unnamed people familiar with the discussions.
Putin has repeatedly ruled out meeting Zelensky before a final peace deal is ready. He has also questioned Zelensky’s authority to sign an agreement after the expiry of his five-year presidential term under martial law.
