Russia and China Push for APEC Summit and Three-Way Talks With the U.S.; Bloomberg Says Putin Seeks to Break Diplomatic Isolation

The Kremlin has floated the possibility of an unprecedented meeting between the leaders of the world’s three major nuclear powers at the APEC summit in Shenzhen this November. Foreign-policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping discussed the idea during a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan.

For Putin, Bloomberg described the potential meeting as a major opportunity to return to the international stage. He has not personally attended an APEC summit since 2017. A three-way appearance with Xi and Donald Trump could allow him to project the image of a leader still shaping global affairs, despite the diplomatic isolation that followed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant issued in 2023.

Xi could use the meeting to present China as a power capable of bringing Washington and Moscow into contact. Some experts, however, question whether Beijing would willingly elevate Russia’s international standing. They argue China sees the United States as its only peer competitor and may have little reason to promote Moscow unless Trump strongly presses for the meeting.

Trump is expected to meet Xi bilaterally in Washington this month to address an approaching deadline for a U.S.-China trade truce. He is also due to host the G20 summit in Florida in December. Political scientists say a three-way meeting would give Trump an opportunity to cultivate his image as a peacemaker and dealmaker.

The proposal has already stirred regional sensitivities. Putin recently visited territory disputed between Russia and Japan, prompting Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to call the move completely unacceptable. His attendance at APEC could put him in the same room as Takaichi and renew diplomatic tensions. China’s Foreign Ministry said it had no relevant information but would work with all sides to ensure a successful summit. Observers also warned that a format in which a few major powers dominate regional affairs could provoke opposition from Europe, India and other countries.