WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump is expected to hold an unprecedented trilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during his upcoming visit to China, according to the White House.
The planned discussions are expected to take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen. The meeting comes at a time of heightened international tensions involving nuclear security, the war in Ukraine and the conflict involving Iran.
US officials have indicated that nuclear arms reduction will be among the subjects discussed. However, expectations for an immediate agreement remain low, with the meeting viewed as an initial opportunity to establish a framework for further negotiations.
Nuclear security at the centre of discussions
The planned meeting comes after the expiration of the last US-Russia nuclear arms agreement in February. Trump has expressed interest in a broader arrangement that would also include China.
China has so far shown limited interest in joining a nuclear arms agreement with Washington and Moscow. Its nuclear arsenal is significantly smaller than those of the United States and Russia, making the negotiations politically and strategically complicated.
Any future agreement could affect global security calculations and the direction of US foreign policy.
Ukraine and Iran remain major points of tension
The meeting is also attracting attention because of the continuing war in Ukraine and tensions involving Iran. A US official indicated that Trump intends to discuss Iran with Xi and Putin but does not plan to focus on Ukraine during the trilateral talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed concern about discussions concerning Ukraine's future taking place without Kyiv directly participating.
Russia's involvement in the meeting could also provide Putin with an opportunity to strengthen Moscow's diplomatic position at a time of continuing tensions with Western governments.
Why the meeting matters to Americans
For the United States, the discussions could influence nuclear security, relations with China and Russia, energy markets and international trade. Any shift in relations between the three countries could have consequences for US businesses, financial markets and national security planning.
However, officials and analysts caution that a meeting alone does not guarantee progress on difficult international disputes.
What happens next
Attention will turn to the leaders' statements following the planned meeting and whether they establish a basis for further negotiations on nuclear weapons. The discussions will also be watched for signs of changes in US-China and US-Russia relations.
Sources and further reporting
