US Says Rubio, Wang Discussed Trilateral Summit With Russia, but China Makes No Mention

During a phone call Wednesday, Nov. 11, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed on the importance of high-level talks to advance peace and nuclear disarmament, including a possible trilateral summit with Russia, according to the US State Department. The call, initiated at China’s request, came ahead of Trump’s planned visit to China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit next week and Xi’s expected trip to Florida for the G20 summit in December.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. According to the US State Department readout, the two diplomats reaffirmed their leaders’ commitment to maintaining stable relations. They “agreed on the importance of meaningful leader-level conversations to advance goals such as peace and denuclearization, including at any potential trilateral leaders meeting with Russia,” the statement said. China’s Foreign Ministry, however, made no mention of nuclear disarmament or the proposed three-way summit. Beijing described the conversation as “positive and constructive,” saying both sides discussed bilateral relations and exchanges between Trump and Xi. Wang said China was willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with Washington while managing differences and sensitive issues. Putin seeks role in three-way summit Rubio said Tuesday that preparations were underway for a potential meeting between Trump, Putin and Xi on the sidelines of the Nov. 18-19 APEC summit in Shenzhen. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Arrives in Dublin for European Summit Ahead of Talks With US Envoys President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Ireland, where he will join talks with around 20 leaders, hours after the first recent trilateral negotiations ended in Abu Dhabi. Trump has expressed interest in discussing nuclear arms control with both leaders, although Beijing has resisted joining trilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations. China has argued that its nuclear arsenal remains substantially smaller than those of the US and Russia, making three-way disarmament talks premature. The proposed summit also carries significant implications for Ukraine. As Kyiv Post reported, Putin has sought a meeting with Trump and Xi to discuss ending Russia’s war against Ukraine on terms favorable to Moscow. Earlier this month, Beijing confirmed talks about the potential summit, following weeks of uncertainty over whether China would participate. Ukraine warns against negotiations without Kyiv Ukrainian officials have strongly opposed any attempt to negotiate Ukraine’s future without its participation. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha previously warned that a summit between Trump, Putin and Xi could encourage Moscow to continue its aggression rather than bring the war closer to an end. “A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, the US and Russia could help end the war faster. A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China and the US would have the opposite effect: It would encourage Putin to continue this war,” Sybiha said. “Russia is not a global power; it is a global problem,” he added. The diplomatic discussions come as Washington continues separate efforts to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion through Abu Dhabi talks involving Ukrainian, American and Russian representatives. On Wednesday, Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine would not surrender its sovereign territory to end the war and insisted that any settlement must include credible security guarantees. Meanwhile, Washington and Beijing continue to manage broader disputes involving trade, technology and strategic security despite their stated commitment to maintaining stable relations. 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.