Why It Matters
President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping plan to meet next week in Shenzhen, China, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit. The talks are expected to include nuclear weapons control, while Ukraine is not expected to be discussed.
What Happened
Olivia Wales, a spokeswoman, announced the planned trilateral meeting. She said Trump intends to address nuclear weapons reduction, describing proliferation as a serious danger in the president’s view.
“The president has made it clear that, among other topics, he will discuss the reduction of nuclear weapons in the world, whose proliferation President Trump believes is very dangerous,” Wales said.
Trump is scheduled to attend an Association of South-east Asian Nations summit in the Philippines on Tuesday before arriving in Shenzhen late Wednesday. The Apec summit will run for two days and include 21 member states.
Trump and Xi are scheduled to hold bilateral talks on Thursday. It would be their fourth meeting since Trump returned to office in 2025. Trump also hosted Xi in Washington in September, while Xi hosted Trump and Putin in Beijing earlier this year.
Iran may be discussed during the planned talks. No agreement was expected to result from the meeting, and Moscow and Beijing had not commented on the announcement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were “signals confirming readiness” for trilateral talks.
By the Numbers
next week — planned timing of the trilateral meeting
Wednesday — Trump’s expected arrival in Shenzhen
two-day — duration of the Apec summit
21 member states — participants in the Apec summit
fourth meeting — number of Trump-Xi meetings since Trump returned to office in 2025
February — month the U.S.-Russia nuclear weapons control treaty expired
2022 — year Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Zoom Out
The planned discussion comes after the U.S.-Russia nuclear weapons control treaty expired in February. The United Nations urged Washington and Moscow to reach a replacement framework without delay, and Trump has said a new agreement could include China.
China became a crucial trading partner for Moscow after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Chinese state media reported that Xi would hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Apec summit.
What’s Next
Trump is scheduled to attend the Asean summit Tuesday, arrive in Shenzhen Wednesday and meet Xi Thursday. The planned trilateral meeting is expected to focus in part on nuclear weapons reduction, with no agreement expected to follow.