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APEC trilateral possibility
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping may hold a trilateral meeting at the next Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November.
“"This issue was discussed, yes."”
Ushakov told state TV that "This issue was discussed, yes," and said all three leaders were expected to attend the summit.
The Reuters report said the summit will be hosted by Shenzhen, China on November 18-19, and that Ushakov was speaking from Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, where Putin and Xi had attended a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation gathering.
The White House said it had "no announcements regarding President Trump’s attendance at APEC at this time," leaving the trilateral idea dependent on Trump’s final decision.
What Xi and Trump do
The South China Morning Post said Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed the possibility of all three leaders meeting in Shenzhen in November, adding that the idea "was discussed" at the SCO summit in Bishkek.
That same report said Putin confirmed in May his intention to attend the Apec meeting, while Trump had not yet done so, and it linked Trump’s presence to whether Xi agrees to attend the December 14-15 Group of 20 meeting at Trump’s Doral golf course resort in Florida.
In a separate account, RTVE.es said Ushakov remarked from Bishkek that Xi mentioned Trump would "very likely" attend the APEC summit and that Putin had also been invited.
RTVE.es also quoted White House spokesperson Anna Kelly saying that at the moment they have no announcement about "President Trump’s attendance at APEC," as the Kremlin kept the door open to a trilateral meeting or meetings with each of them.
Why it matters next
The Kremlin’s comments place the potential Putin-Trump-Xi meeting inside APEC’s 21-economy framework, with Reuters saying Russia, China and the United States are part of the 21-member APEC.
“Russia, China and the United States are part of the 21-member APEC”
Ushakov’s remarks were made from Bishkek during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation gathering, where Reuters said Putin and Xi had attended a meeting, and where the possibility of a trilateral meeting was raised.
The Kyiv Independent said the APEC summit is scheduled to take place in Shenzhen, China, on Nov. 18-19, and described China’s framing of the event around building a "prosperous community" in the Asia-Pacific region.
With Washington still not confirming Trump’s attendance, the La iguana TV account said the Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov reported that if everything goes as planned, they could organize a meeting between the three or at least meet with all of them.