Trump, Putin and Xi to meet in first trilateral meeting between leaders

The leaders of three major global powers, US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, are set to hold a trilateral meeting in China.

The meeting is scheduled for November 19 in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. It will be the first-ever trilateral meeting involving the leaders of the three countries.

The White House confirmed the planned meeting on Friday (November 13). Reports by The New York Times, the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters said nuclear arms control and disarmament are expected to feature prominently in the discussions. The situation in Iran is also likely to be on the agenda.

White House Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wells described the meeting as historic during a briefing on Friday. She said Trump wanted to discuss reducing the number of nuclear weapons worldwide, adding that the US president considers nuclear proliferation extremely dangerous.

Trump had earlier told reporters that he would discuss nuclear disarmament and other international issues with Putin and Xi. However, a senior US administration official said Washington was not expecting any agreement or deal to emerge from the first meeting. Instead, one of its key objectives would be to establish a framework for future discussions.

Meanwhile, the New START nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia expired in February 2026. As a result, the world's two largest nuclear powers no longer have an effective treaty-based framework governing their strategic nuclear arsenals.

Trump wants to negotiate a new arms control agreement that would also include China, citing Washington's concerns over Beijing's rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal. China, however, has so far shown little interest in joining such an agreement.

According to US officials, Trump may raise the situation in Iran during the trilateral discussions. However, the Russia-Ukraine war is unlikely to feature on the formal agenda. There are also concerns in Kyiv about the prospect of discussions of this nature taking place without Ukraine's involvement.

The White House said Trump would arrive in Shenzhen on Wednesday night to attend the 21-member APEC summit. A bilateral meeting and working lunch with Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled for Thursday. Trump will then conclude his visit to China with the trilateral meeting involving the three leaders.

Before travelling to China, Trump is also scheduled to attend the ASEAN summit in the Philippines on Tuesday. The White House said the trip aims to advance US interests in the Indo-Pacific region and secure significant gains for the American people.

Analysts say the meeting carries considerable significance for international diplomacy. However, differences in the positions of China and Russia on nuclear arms control, along with existing geopolitical tensions among the three countries, are likely to limit the prospects of any major immediate breakthrough.