Trump says he would join Xi and Putin in China, and wants nuclear weapons on the agenda

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is open to a three-way meeting with China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and that it could be focused on denuclearization^1,7. He said the United States has more nuclear weapons than anybody, that Russia is second and China is third⁵. Axios reported that Trump wants to hold the trilateral summit in China next month to discuss denuclearization, but not necessarily Ukraine⁴. RFI reported that he indicated he is ready to meet both leaders in China next month⁶.

The Kremlin said the three could hold a meeting on the sidelines of next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China⁸. Trump is expected to travel to China in mid-November for the APEC leaders’ meeting in the city of Shenzhen⁴. The Kremlin had been floating the idea before his answer⁴. In the same remarks, Trump criticised Ukraine’s president³.

Why it matters to investors

Axios said a summit between the leaders of the United States, China and Russia would be unprecedented⁴. It also reported that Trump has been talking for two years about his aspiration to reach a deal with Russia and China to reduce the number of nuclear weapons, and that so far Putin and Xi have not shown much openness to the idea⁴. The Hill reported that he expressed openness to a trilateral meeting to discuss weapons and denuclearization².

What is on the agenda matters as much as whether the meeting happens. Axios reported that the stated subject is denuclearization and not necessarily Ukraine⁴, which would leave the sanctions and energy questions driving oil and European bond markets outside the room. Reuters described Trump only as open to joining a meeting that could be focused on denuclearization, not as having agreed one¹.

What to watch

The APEC leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen, which Trump is expected to attend in mid-November, is the venue in question⁴. The Kremlin has said a three-way meeting there is possible⁸.

Accounts differ on how firm the plan is. LBC reported the Kremlin confirming that the three leaders could meet on the sidelines of the summit⁸, while Reuters, The Hill and the South China Morning Post described Trump as open to the idea rather than committed to a date^1,2,7. Whether Ukraine enters the agenda is the second open question: Axios put denuclearization at the centre of Trump’s thinking⁴, and CNBC reported that he used the same appearance to criticise Ukraine’s president³.