On a Friday the White House confirmed what few had imagined a year ago: the leaders of the United States, China and Russia intend to meet together, on Thursday, on the margins of the Asia-Pacific summit in Shenzhen. It would be the first time these three men have sat at one table, and the gathering brings into a single room the holders of the world's largest nuclear arsenals at a moment when the old treaty limiting them has lapsed. Few expect it to produce anything concrete; its weight lies in what it signals about a world where the great powers still reach for one another even while the war i
Trump, Xi and Putin Plan Unprecedented Three-Way Meeting on APEC Sidelines in Shenzhen
The first gathering of the world's biggest nuclear powers, with no deals expected
Mark
Why does a meeting expected to produce nothing still matter?
Mimi
Because of who is in the room. It's the first time the leaders of the three biggest nuclear powers have gathered, and the nuclear arms pact between Russia and the U.S. expired in February with no replacement.
Luke
But let's be clear about what's confirmed. The White House confirmed the meeting. The claim that no agreements are expected comes from an anonymous senior U.S. official.
Mark
And the Yalta comparisons?
Mimi
Some are making them, and Zelenskyy has worried about a Ukraine deal struck behind Kyiv's back. Peskov dismissed the comparison, saying whatever comes out of Shenzhen can't be imposed on others.
Luke
Worth noting the U.S. official said Trump will steer away from Ukraine. So the fear is a concern Zelenskyy expressed, not something reported as planned.
Mark
Why would China agree to host?
Mimi
Analysts say Xi may want to show off China's clout. But Beijing seems the least sure of the meeting's value, and it could cut against China's pitch as a defender of free trade at APEC.
Luke
Those are analysts' readings of motive. Nobody from Beijing is quoted explaining its reasons.
Mark
And the numbers on warheads?
Mimi
Pentagon estimates put China above 600, versus more than 5,000 each for the U.S. and Russia. That gap is why Beijing has shown little interest in a pact.
Luke
Those are estimates, not declared figures, and what the talks will actually cover is still unknown until Thursday.
Der Puls
- The first-ever meeting of Trump, Xi and Putin is set for Thursday on the sidelines of the Shenzhen APEC summit, and it arrives with no agreements in hand.
- New START has expired, and with it the caps on the two largest nuclear arsenals, leaving Washington and Moscow without any binding limits for the first time in over half a century.
- Kyiv and European capitals fear a settlement being shaped over their heads, and Zelenskyy has voiced exactly that worry.
- Washington says Iran will be on the agenda while Ukraine is kept off it, but the Kremlin's presence in the room makes that line hard to hold.
- The talks are expected to open a path toward nuclear negotiations rather than close any deal, with China's far smaller arsenal still a stumbling block.
On a Friday the White House confirmed what few had imagined a year ago: the leaders of the United States, China and Russia intend to meet together, on Thursday, on the margins of the Asia-Pacific summit in Shenzhen. It would be the first time these three men have sat at one table, and the gathering brings into a single room the holders of the world's largest nuclear arsenals at a moment when the old treaty limiting them has lapsed. Few expect it to produce anything concrete; its weight lies in what it signals about a world where the great powers still reach for one another even while the war in Ukraine grinds on and fear of a deal struck over Kyiv's head gathers.
The White House has confirmed that Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin plan to sit down together on Thursday, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen. No such gathering has ever taken place, and it brings together the leaders of the world's biggest nuclear powers. Analysts expect more symbolism than substance.
The timing is delicate for all three. Trump has warmly embraced Xi since their trade truce, despite friction over the American war with Iran, and he has kept cultivating Putin even as the war in Ukraine approaches its fifth year and Moscow deepens its ties with Tehran. A U.S. official says Iran will be raised but Ukraine will be avoided, and that the session should mark the beginning of nuclear talks rather than produce any agreement.
The arms-control backdrop is stark. New START expired in February, lifting limits on the two largest arsenals for the first time in more than fifty years. Trump refused Russia's request for a one-year extension and called for a broader pact that includes China, which has shown little interest while its stockpile remains far smaller than those of Washington and Moscow.
Each guest arrives with its own motives. Beijing may be using the moment to display its growing stature, though it is uncertain about the meeting's value, and the trilateral could complicate its portrayal of itself as a champion of multilateralism. For the Kremlin, appearing alongside Washington and Beijing as an equal superpower is a prize. Ukrainians and Europeans, meanwhile, worry that the image of three leaders talking could suggest decisions are being made about their war without them.
The White House confirmed on Friday that the presidents of the United States, China and Russia plan to sit down together on Thursday, on the sidelines of next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China's technology hub. No gathering of Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin has happened before, and it brings together the leaders of the world's biggest nuclear powers. Analysts quoted by the AP expect little in the way of breakthroughs and say the meeting will carry more symbolism than substance.
The timing is awkward for all three countries. Trump has warmly embraced Xi since the two reached a truce in their short-lived trade war last year, despite differences over the U.S. war with Iran and other tensions between the two economic giants. He has also worked at building a relationship with Putin, even as Putin continues a war in Ukraine that is nearly five years old and as Moscow deepens its military, intelligence and diplomatic ties with Iran.
Trump has said the meeting would let the three leaders discuss the Iran war and his goal of a three-way agreement on nuclear stockpiles. A U.S. official said he does plan to raise Iran with Xi and Putin but will steer clear of Ukraine. The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said the session is expected to serve as the start of nuclear talks and that no agreements are expected to be announced.
The arms-control backdrop matters. The last nuclear pact between Russia and the United States, New START, expired in February, removing caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than fifty years. Russia had asked to extend the deal for another year. Trump refused and called instead for "a new, improved and modernized" agreement that includes China. But Pentagon estimates put Beijing's arsenal at more than 600 warheads, against more than 5,000 each for the U.S. and Russia, and China has shown little interest in a nuclear pact while its stockpile is so much smaller.
The analysts see different motives for each host and guest. Beijing appears the least certain about the meeting's value, though by hosting it Xi may be seeking a chance to show off China's growing clout. For the Kremlin, it is a coveted opportunity to appear as 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 Putin's key goal 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.
The meeting could also overshadow the APEC summit itself, which brings 21 economies to Shenzhen, a city that grew from a small fishing village into a global technology and economic hub within a few decades. Hoo Tiang Boon, a professor of Chinese foreign policy at Nanyang Technological University, said the trilateral could undercut China's effort to present itself at APEC as a defender of free trade. "You sort of run counter to Chinese support of multilateralism," he said. It could also muddy Beijing's argument that a Cold War mentality in the West helped cause the Ukraine war, and its criticism that the U.S. has undermined international institutions and treaties in how it has waged its war against Iran.
The leaders know each other well in pairs. Xi and Putin 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, and Trump and Xi eight times, including Xi's September state visit to Washington. China is Russia's top trading partner, a tie that has strengthened since the 2022 invasion, with Beijing buying more Russian energy and supplying key technologies, including high-tech components for Russian weapons industries, despite Western demands to stop. Before the invasion the two declared a "no-limits friendship"; China officially calls itself neutral.
Trump recently struck a diesel deal with Russia, waiving sanctions to allow the sale of millions of tons of fuel. He has blamed surging energy prices on Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, though analysts say the Iran war is mostly responsible. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced concern that the meeting could become a platform to discuss a Ukraine deal behind Kyiv's back. Some have compared the planning to the 1945 Yalta Conference. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected that, noting that any agreements reached in Shenzhen cannot be enforced on others. Next week's talks will show whether the agenda stays on Iran and nuclear arms, and how Kyiv and Europe respond.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
You sort of run counter to Chinese support of multilateralism.— Hoo Tiang Boon, Nanyang Technological University
A meeting between the leaders of countries such as Russia, China and the United States is extremely significant, but agreements reached cannot be imposed on others.— Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman (partly paraphrased)
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