China Rejects Ukraine Talks With Trump and Putin

China has shown no interest in holding a three-way summit with Russia and the US to discuss Russia’s war against Ukraine, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, adding that Beijing views the conflict as a European issue.Steinmeier made the remarks in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.He said he had raised the possibility of a Ukraine-focused summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Beijing on Friday, Oct. 30. Steinmeier has since returned to Berlin.Although the leaders of the three countries are expected to attend the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, Xi’s response suggested that Ukraine would not be on the agenda, Steinmeier said.“From his perspective, there is absolutely no preparation under way for a Ukraine summit involving the US, Russia, and China,” Steinmeier said.“He (Xi) explicitly pointed out that this is a European conflict in which Europeans would also have to be at the negotiating table,” he added.Steinmeier said Xi appeared surprised when he raised the possibility of a summit focused on Ukraine, adding that “one could see the look of surprise on his face.”The discussion comes amid reports of a possible meeting between Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the APEC summit, scheduled for mid-November.Putin has proposed a three-way meeting to discuss nuclear disarmament. Trump has expressed openness to the idea and said he would also be willing to discuss other issues, “such as Ukraine.” Other Topics of Interest Bulgaria Elects Moscow-Friendly Iotova as Black Sea Attacks Raise Security Fears Iotova won up to 58.2% of the vote, while the runoff exposed deep divisions over Bulgaria’s ties with Russia and its role in Europe. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on Oct. 25 that preparations had begun for a trilateral summit. Speaking to Russian state broadcaster Vesti, Ushakov said Moscow, Beijing, and Washington had agreed in principle to hold the meeting.The summit is being planned for the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ meeting, scheduled for Nov. 18-19 in Shenzhen, China.Ushakov also described a possible meeting of Russian, US, and Ukrainian delegations in November as exploratory, saying it would have a “range-finding character.”The prospect of a meeting between Trump, Putin, and Xi has raised questions about the role of Ukraine and European countries in discussions that could affect the future of Russia’s war against Ukraine.President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly said that decisions concerning Ukraine cannot be made without Kyiv’s participation. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.