The United States has confirmed that talks are underway for a possible meeting between President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that there is no final agreement to hold it at the moment.
„There have been talks about a meeting. I don't know if it has been agreed yet, but the president has made it clear that he wants the war in Ukraine and Russia to end“, Rubio said, quoted by Reuters.According to him, Washington sees serious risks in continuing the conflict. "We don't see anything good coming out of this war," the secretary of state said, warning of a "very real risk of escalation" and the spread of the fighting to another country.
Possible forum for talks
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, which is due to be held in China on November 18 and 19, has been cited as a possible venue. At this stage, however, there is no confirmation that the three leaders will talk in this format.
In an analysis for UNIAN, Olesya Yakhno points out that a possible meeting between Trump, Putin and Xi would not be a repeat of the Yalta conference in 1945. According to her, the then allies had common long-term goals, while today's relations between the three countries are marked by competition and different interests.
Yakhno defines the US and China as competitors, and describes relations between China and Russia as increasingly dependent on Beijing. According to the analysis, contacts between Washington and Moscow are currently also influenced by business deals offered by the Kremlin, which are causing political disputes in the United States.
Ukraine and Europe cannot be excluded
The analysis also points out that sustainable international rules require common norms similar to those enshrined in the UN Charter. According to Yakhno, Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as threats of nuclear weapons, undermine such an approach.
Therefore, according to the author, talks about the war in Europe cannot be held sustainably without the participation of Ukraine and European countries. She also notes that China views the European Union as an important economic partner and market. Thus, a possible meeting between three world leaders could start talks, but would not in itself resolve the issue of Ukraine's future.
Sources: unian.net, investing.com