Putin proposes a tripartite summit with Trump and Xi to discuss the Ukraine war

Bethlehem - Ofoq News - Diplomatic moves aimed at ending the Russian-Ukrainian war continue, amid reports of a Russian proposal to hold a summit between US President Donald Trump, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum summit in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, without Ukraine’s participation.

In this context, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that ending the war must be a priority for Moscow and Kiev, indicating that Trump wants to reach a settlement, while the final agreement to hold the summit has not been confirmed.

These moves coincide with the continuation of Russian attacks on Ukraine, as an air strike on the capital, Kiev, resulted in the death of a 21-year-old woman and the injury of three other people, in addition to damaging a metro station, a residential building, and other facilities, including a medical facility.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the United States had resumed the exchange of basic intelligence information to help his country confront Russian missiles, after a short pause.

Politically, Zelensky held talks with American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in an effort to contain tension with Washington. However, Trump renewed his criticism of the Ukrainian president, accusing him of not wanting to end the war, and stressing that he does not want to take steps that might distance Moscow from the negotiations.

Reports about the possibility of holding a tripartite summit without Kiev's participation raise questions about Ukraine's role in any possible settlement, at a time when reports indicate that Putin's proposal came during a phone call with Trump on October 9, coinciding with an agreement on Russian diesel and exempting Moscow from major sanctions.