Trump Open to Trilateral Summit With Putin and Xi Focused on Denuclearization, Dismisses Zelenskyy as Ukraine Negotiator

President Donald Trump said on October 19 that he would be willing to meet jointly with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with denuclearization as the central agenda. Trump indicated he expects the meeting would be held in China, saying of Xi: "If Xi wants to have it, I'd have it." He added that he would schedule the summit specifically around denuclearization efforts rather than as a forum to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump also said he is negotiating with Putin on Ukraine but sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying it is "time for someone else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine." When told that Zelenskyy had accused him of being on the wrong side of history, Trump replied that Zelenskyy "doesn't know what he's talking about." Trump also argued that the United States has given a great deal to Ukraine while receiving nothing in return, including sharing intelligence.

On Iran, Trump offered a notably positive assessment of Russia's conduct, saying Moscow has done "very little" to help Tehran when it could have done much more, calling that restraint a positive development. Trump described the situation with Iran as "good."