US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China in what would be an unprecedented group meeting, officials said.
The scheduled summit will unite the leaders of the three main global powers at a time of mounting geopolitical and regional rivalry.
This assembly serves as a message to the Kremlin, which can position Russia as a superpower alongside Washington and Beijing.
All three leaders joining a trilateral forum together would be another diplomatic win, with the opportunity to raise international security, trade and conflict issues impacting their interests.
The White House confirmed the plans Friday, saying the meeting was scheduled for Thursday in Shenzhen. Talks may deal with arms control and the war with Iran, but US officials do not expect an agreement soon.
Following the expiration of the New START pact between Moscow and Washington in February, Trump has suggested a new nuclear deal involving all three nations. But China has so far not been keen on putting together such a club.
But it could also trigger alarm bells in Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy worried about the great powers talking about the war without Kyiv, the Associated Press reported.
A gathering of the leaders was described as “important” by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, although he warned no specific design for the new world order should be reinforced.
