Trump floats three-way meeting with Xi and Putin in China during APEC

A three-way meeting floated for China

Trump told reporters on Sunday, 8 November 2026, that he would travel to China and that one of his meetings there could be with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, adding that it would be interesting. Reports place the possible meeting in Shenzhen, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a forum of 21 member states. Trump said he would discuss denuclearization with both leaders, and reports add that a possible end to the war in Iran is also on the agenda. If the meeting goes ahead, it would fall in the week of 16 November 2026, according to the reporting.

Ukraine: a deal described as close and a changed shape

In a CBS News interview broadcast on Sunday, Trump said an agreement to end the war in Ukraine was close. He thinks Ukraine will ultimately end up with a somewhat changed shape. Asked whether he trusts Vladimir Putin or Volodymyr Zelensky more, he said he would rather not say but gets along with both. He also said Russia had shown enormous disrespect at one earlier meeting and that no one had been as tough on Russia as he has been. On Friday, 6 November 2026, he had said a very large agreement could cover all of Europe and that large progress had been made that day. Ukrainian negotiator Dawyd Arachamija said the new US approach moves away from the 'unsolvable' Donbas question toward a broader postwar security architecture for Europe, meant to encourage Russian concessions. Russia and Ukraine are due to hold talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November 2026, with a US delegation taking part.

Midterm losses, Vance and the Iran war

Trump's position at home is part of the context. Reports describe his heavy defeat in the midterm elections, which cost Republicans their majorities in both chambers of Congress to Democrats. A Danish researcher notes that Trump is not running for reelection and may therefore focus on foreign policy. On the day after the congressional elections, Vice President J.D. Vance said Republicans had lost because of the war in Iran, and that many voters who backed him and Trump in 2024 supported Democrats this time. Trump denied that the remark had affected their relationship. He said Vance had been right except that he should have added a further sentence, to which the answer is yes.

Expert doubts and the next steps

Rasmus Sinding Søndergaard, a senior US foreign policy researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (Diis), said a summit of three leaders would show the great powers settling key questions outside international organizations such as the UN. He doubts the three leaders can end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. He considers a Ukraine agreement during the APEC summit unlikely. He said Trump may be interested in talks on Iran, and that pressure from China and Russia, which keep close ties with the government in Tehran, could help. Meetings between the United States, Russia, Ukraine and EU representatives are still ahead, according to the expert.