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President Vladimir Putin reportedly floated a plan for a three‑way summit with President Donald J. Trump and President Xi Jinping to talk about ending the war in Ukraine — and left President Volodymyr Zelenskyy off the guest list. The Wall Street Journal and other outlets say the idea came up during a phone call and may be shopped for the sidelines of the APEC meeting in Shenzhen. At the same time, the administration has authorized limited imports of Russian‑origin diesel, a move critics say hands Putin leverage. This is not diplomacy; it smells like a power play.
What Putin Is Really Selling: Power, Not Peace
Putin is not offering a neutral negotiation table. He is offering a stage where two great powers can bless a deal that helps Moscow, with Beijing there to lend muscle and legitimation. The timing is the giveaway: the diesel authorization from the U.S. Treasury followed the same phone call that reportedly raised the summit. Granting access to Russian diesel eases Moscow’s economic pain and creates an incentive to bargain. Dmitry Peskov has said talks about a meeting exist, but there is no agreed agenda — which is precisely how you start a deal that favors one side while pretending to seek compromise.
Why Excluding Kyiv Is a Non‑Starter
No serious settlement of a war happens by talking about a country without that country in the room. That is not negotiation; that is divvying up spoils. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that any U.S. posture that tilts toward Russia would be “a historic mistake,” and lawmakers from both parties have reacted angrily to the diesel move. A summit that sidelines Ukraine would hand Moscow diplomatic cover and fracture Western solidarity. If the goal is a durable peace, Kyiv must be at the table — not waved at from the back of the room while Xi and Putin trade smirks.
What President Trump Should Do — And Why It Matters
There’s a simple, smart play for President Trump: insist that any talks about Ukraine include Ukraine and meaningful European partners. If Washington believes a negotiated end is possible, it should use whatever leverage it has — including control over energy and sanctions — to secure terms that respect Ukraine’s sovereignty. Folding to a three‑power format that elevates Beijing and Moscow will undercut U.S. credibility and hand autocrats a propaganda win. If the White House is serious about helping Americans with fuel costs, do that transparently; don’t trade away friends for cheap diesel and photo ops.
Bottom line
This reported Putin proposal is less a bid for peace than a geopolitical maneuver. The U.S. should not be an accessory to a deal that cuts Kyiv out of its own future. Watch for an official White House response, China’s take on Xi’s involvement, and any formal scheduling around APEC in Shenzhen. Congress should press for clarity on the diesel authorization and demand that Kyiv be treated as a party to any talks about its fate. Great‑power diplomacy without the people most affected is not diplomacy — it’s a take‑over disguised as statesmanship. America should not play along.
