Trump Favorable On Trilateral Meeting With Xi, Putin: “I Would Do It”

President Trump has once again put Zelensky in his place, in a Monday afternoon exchange with reporters he actually again suggested that the Ukrainian leader needs to be booted from leadership, and cut out of negotiations in an effort to find peace in the war with Russia.

“Zelensky is a man that should’ve had this war settled a long time ago. If he would’ve listened to me, he would’ve made a much better deal a long time ago and he’d have a million people living… I think it’s time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine,” Trump said bluntly when engaging with a reporter’s question.

Reporter: Zelensky says you’re on the wrong side of history. Trump: Zelensky doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I think it’s time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine https://t.co/P2dskwE2h1

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) October 19, 2026

“I’m supporting stopping the war between Russia and Ukraine… Frankly, Zelensky is not helping matters much. I think he doesn’t want to stop it. I want to see people not die,” the US President also said.

This was in response to Zelensky earlier hitting back at Trump over some serious changes in US policy on Ukraine, including an apparent halt or at least throttling of intelligence-sharing: “you’re on the wrong side of history” – Zelensky had said.

In Trump’s own fresh comments, he hit back hard, saying: “Zelensky doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Trump Favorable To Trilateral Summit (Sans Zelensky)

In the wake of prior late Sunday reports, Trump has also newly declared that he is indeed open to participating in a trilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin (but without Zelensky’s involvement). Trump also offered that could be focused on denuclearization.

“I would do it” – Trump stated multiple times, stipulating that he’d like to see it happen if President Xi were on board, and saying it would likely be in China (since Xi just recently visited the US).

Watch the crucial moment below:

Trump: If Putin and Xi want a trilateral meeting in China, I would like to have it. https://t.co/AEZ6T0PvBh

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 19, 2026

We detailed Sunday that Putin reportedly first floated the idea of a trilateral meeting in an Oct. 9 phone call with Trump. That conversation also produced a deal for the US to buy Russian diesel fuel and facilitate its sale on the global market. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that discussions were taking place over a potential meeting. 

After Putin Floated Summit Idea, It’s Still at ‘Hypothetical’ Stage

“There is no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda, although all three parties acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of such a meeting taking place,” he told The Wall Street Journal.

A senior US official earlier said that while Trump hadn’t agreed to such a summit, he said that the president could be receptive to the idea, given his desire to fulfill a campaign promise to settle the war. Trump had said it would be finished on “day one” of his new term, but he is now approaching nearly two years in office. 

The Kremlin has suggested holding the trilateral dialogue on the sidelines of the coming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, the people familiar with discussions said. That gathering takes place on Nov. 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, the southern Chinese tech hub. 

Asked whether he has agreed to a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the war in Ukraine, President Trump says he has not, but would be open to such a meeting focused on nuclear disarmament instead. “Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine. They haven’t been doing much. And the same thing with China,” Trump says.

— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 19, 2026

A potential three-way dialogue on Chinese soil would mark a big step for Xi in his efforts to elevate China’s role as a diplomatic power broker, said analysts who study China. Russian officials proposed the idea to Beijing through diplomatic channels and the Chinese side has indicated it wouldn’t object if Trump is on board. 

And now Trump is declaring that he is indeed on board.