Trump, Xi, and Putin to Hold First Trilateral Summit in Shenzhen

President Donald Trump, President Xi Jinping, and President Vladimir Putin will participate in a trilateral summit on November 19, 2026. This three-way meeting will take place in Shenzhen, China, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. This event marks the first trilateral meeting between the leaders of the United States, China, and Russia.

Scheduled meeting agenda

The primary agenda items for the trilateral talks include the reduction of global nuclear arsenals and the conflict in Iran. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales stated that President Donald Trump intends to discuss the reduction of global nuclear weapons, which he considers very dangerous. While these topics are central to the summit, the scope of the discussions remains specific to the three participating nations.

US officials have clarified the limitations of the meeting's scope regarding ongoing international conflicts. US officials stated that the war in Ukraine will not be discussed during this specific trilateral meeting. Instead, the United States is maintaining a separate negotiation track with Kyiv and Moscow regarding the war in Ukraine. US officials do not expect any formal agreements to result from this trilateral meeting.

Bilateral and multilateral discussions

The summit schedule includes additional diplomatic engagements beyond the three-way meeting. President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a separate bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping during the visit to Shenzhen. These individual sessions allow for direct communication between the leaders of the United States and China outside of the larger trilateral framework.

The geopolitical implications of the Shenzhen meeting have drawn comparisons to historical diplomatic gatherings. The meeting is being compared to the 1945 Yalta summit, where Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin established post-WWII territorial boundaries. This historical parallel highlights the significance of the meeting between the leaders of the three major global powers.

The gathering has also prompted reactions from other international leaders. President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed concerns that the Shenzhen meeting could lead to a 21st-century redistribution of spheres of influence. This concern underscores the tension regarding how the meeting might impact existing international borders and political alignments.

Glossary

• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation — Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC AY-pek) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim. It promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
• spheres of influence — Spheres of influence are territories established by signatory powers. They were discussed during the Berlin Conference regarding European occupation in Africa.