The proposal surfaced after President Trump announced a diesel purchase from Russia and signed an executive order waiving key sanctions on Friday. The idea emerged during a telephone call on Oct 9, when Putin and Trump discussed both the deal and a possible summit.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to the WSJ that talks are ongoing. "There is no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting taking place," he said.
A senior U.S. official told the Journal that Trump has not yet agreed to a summit, though he might be open to the idea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the diesel deal and sanctions waiver could embolden Putin and prolong the war.
The Kremlin has suggested holding the trilateral dialogue on the sidelines of the Asia‑Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, set for Nov 18‑19 in Shenzhen.
The meeting’s fate now depends on whether Trump formally accepts the invitation, with the White House yet to respond.