Putin Proposes Trump-Xi Summit as Ukraine Pushes for a Seat

Trump's sanctions waiver for Russia has become a source of friction with Ukraine, alongside his pressure on Kyiv to settle the war. The latest coverage gives little detail about the waiver itself, focusing instead on the diplomatic effort now moving between Oslo and St. Petersburg.

The dispute is about more than sanctions. Foreign Policy described a White House increasingly focused on strengthening ties with Russia. Al Jazeera reported that Trump was pressing Ukraine to cut a peace deal amid a deepening feud with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

On October 20, Zelensky met Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo. A US official described the discussions as showing significant progress, according to CNN Brasil. Axios reported that Witkoff would take an updated peace proposal to Russian President Vladimir Putin the following day.

There were signs of a partial repair in relations with Washington. Zelensky welcomed the resumption of US advance warnings of strikes on Ukraine, World News CNA reported. He also said Washington had reaffirmed its commitment to security guarantees, according to CNBC International.

On October 21, Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Oslo discussions positive and said Witkoff would share the ideas with Russia to see whether progress was possible, Business Line reported.

At the opening of the Russia talks, Putin proposed a meeting with Trump and Xi in China, according to ARD Tagesschau. That introduced a separate summit proposal from the talks involving Ukraine that Kyiv wants.

Russia also released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American school teacher who had been held on mercenary charges, World News CNA reported. Witkoff thanked Putin for the release, according to NBC News.

The diplomacy has produced proposals and positive descriptions of talks, not an announced agreement to end the war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Russia wanted peace rather than a truce, according to Le Monde.

Ukraine's participation remains a central point of tension. Zelensky has insisted that nothing about Ukraine be decided without Ukraine, CNBC International reported. During his meeting with Putin, Witkoff voiced hope for trilateral talks involving Ukraine, but CBS Top Stories reported that Moscow appeared to be sticking to its maximalist demands.

The next test is whether the proposals discussed in Oslo gain Russian support, and whether any leaders' meeting includes Ukraine. Witkoff is due to return to Oslo for further talks with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre after his Russia meetings, according to NRK. That return visit should provide another opportunity to assess what, if anything, Moscow is prepared to accept.