In the autumn of a world grown wary of its own arsenals, three of the most powerful men on earth are preparing to share a single table in Shenzhen, the southern Chinese city that once was a fishing village and now hums as a center of modern technology. Their meeting, set to take place on the margins of an Asia-Pacific trade gathering, will be the first time the leaders of the three largest nuclear powers have sat together, and it arrives at a moment when the old treaties that once restrained them have lapsed into silence. Yet those who study such encounters suspect that its meaning will lie mo
Trump, Xi and Putin Plan Unprecedented Joint Meeting on Sidelines of APEC Summit
The first gathering of the leaders of the world's three biggest nuclear powers
In the autumn of a world grown wary of its own arsenals, three of the most powerful men on earth are preparing to share a single table in Shenzhen, the southern Chinese city that once was a fishing village and now hums as a center of modern technology. Their meeting, set to take place on the margins of an Asia-Pacific trade gathering, will be the first time the leaders of the three largest nuclear powers have sat together, and it arrives at a moment when the old treaties that once restrained them have lapsed into silence. Yet those who study such encounters suspect that its meaning will lie more in appearance than in outcome, as each leader weighs what it means to be seen alongside the others while a war in Ukraine and another in Iran continue to shape their wills.
The White House has confirmed that President Donald Trump, China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin will meet on Thursday in Shenzhen, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. It would be the first time the leaders of the world's three biggest nuclear powers have gathered in one room, and analysts expect more symbolism than substance.
The setting carries its own weight. Shenzhen rose from a small fishing village into one of the world's great technology centers, and a meeting of this kind could overshadow the 21-economy summit and undercut Beijing's image as a champion of free trade. Trump has warmly embraced Xi since their trade truce, and has sought closer ties with Putin even as the war in Ukraine drags into its fifth year and Moscow deepens its partnership with Iran.
Trump says he wants to discuss the Iran war and pursue a three-way nuclear agreement. A senior U.S. official said Ukraine will be left off the agenda, and that the session is meant only to open talks. The arms gap is real: New START lapsed in February after Trump rejected a Russian offer to extend it, and China's arsenal, estimated above 600 warheads, is far smaller than the more than 5,000 each held by Washington and Moscow. Beijing has shown little interest in joining.
Each leader has a stake in the optics. Xi may want to display China's rising standing, and Putin sees a chance to appear the equal of Washington and Beijing. Kyiv, however, worries that the gathering could become a forum for deciding its future without it. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed comparisons to the 1945 Yalta Conference, noting that nothing agreed in Shenzhen could bind others. The question for Thursday is whether the talks truly open a path to nuclear negotiations, and how Kyiv and Europe will answer.
The White House confirmed on Friday that President Donald Trump, China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin will sit down together on Thursday in Shenzhen, on the sidelines of next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. It will be the first gathering of the leaders of the world's three biggest nuclear powers, and analysts say it is likely to deliver more symbolism than substance.
Shenzhen is China's tech hub, a coastal city that grew from a small fishing village into a global technology and economic center within a few decades. The APEC summit brings 21 economies there, and the trilateral meeting could well overshadow it. It could also cut against Beijing's effort to present itself at APEC as a defender of free trade. Hoo Tiang Boon, a professor of Chinese foreign policy at Nanyang Technological University, said such a meeting runs counter to Chinese support for multilateralism.
The backdrop is complicated. Trump has warmly embraced Xi since the two reached a truce in their short-lived trade war last year, despite disagreements over the U.S. war with Iran and other tensions. He has also worked to build ties with Putin, even as Putin continues a war in Ukraine now nearly five years old and Moscow deepens its military, intelligence and diplomatic partnership with Iran.
Trump has said the meeting is a chance to discuss the Iran war and to pursue a three-way agreement on nuclear stockpiles. A senior U.S. official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said Trump does plan to raise Iran with Xi and Putin but will steer clear of Ukraine. The official described the session as a start to nuclear talks, with no agreements expected to be announced.
The arms-control gap is real. The last nuclear pact between Russia and the United States, New START, expired in February, removing caps on the two largest arsenals for the first time in more than fifty years. Trump rejected a Russian proposal to extend it another year and called instead for a new, improved and modernized deal that includes China. But Pentagon estimates put China's arsenal at more than 600 warheads, while the U.S. and Russia are each estimated to hold more than 5,000. Beijing has shown little interest in a nuclear pact.
Each host and guest has its own calculation. Xi may see a chance to display China's growing clout and prestige. For the Kremlin, the meeting is a coveted opportunity to appear a superpower on par with Washington and Beijing. Edgard Kagan, a former U.S. ambassador to Malaysia now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the key for Putin was signaling that he and Xi are talking with Trump in a way that suggests they are making decisions on Ukraine, something Ukrainians and Europeans dislike. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced concern that the meeting could become a platform for discussing a Ukraine deal behind Kyiv's back.
The leaders know each other well in pairs. Putin and Xi have met more than 40 times since Xi became president in 2013 and call each other "dear friend." Trump and Putin have met face to face seven times, most recently in Alaska in August 2025. Trump and Xi have held eight in-person talks, including Xi's state visit to Washington in September. China is Russia's top trading partner, a tie that has grown since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, with China buying more Russian energy and supplying key technologies, including high-tech components for Russian weapons industries. China says it is neutral on the war, while Moscow backs Beijing's position on Taiwan.
Trump also recently struck a diesel deal with Russia, waiving sanctions to allow the sale of millions of tons of fuel. He has blamed rising energy prices on Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, though analysts attribute the rise in crude prices mostly to the Iran war.
Some have likened the planning to the 1945 Yalta Conference. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the comparison, noting that any agreements reached in Shenzhen cannot be enforced on others. He called the meeting extremely significant but said global order should rest on mutual benefit and respect. What to watch Thursday: whether the talks truly open three-way nuclear negotiations, and how Kyiv and European capitals respond.
Citações Notáveis
A meeting between the leaders of Russia, China and the United States is extremely significant, but no one should try to impose a view of global order.— Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman (paraphrased)
A trilateral meeting runs counter to Chinese support of multilateralism.— Hoo Tiang Boon, Nanyang Technological University
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Leia o original em St. Paul Pioneer Press ↗