Trump, Putin and Xi at one table, without Ukraine. What Moscow wants from the proposal and why Beijing might agree.

Moscow is advocating for a high-level summit involving Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. The proposed format excludes participation from both the Ukrainian government and the European Union, focusing instead on direct engagement between the three powers.

This initiative aims to address Russia's strategic objectives regarding the conflict while testing China's willingness to participate in a diplomatic framework that bypasses traditional Western and Ukrainian stakeholders. The proposal highlights a potential shift in geopolitical maneuvering as Russia seeks to leverage the influence of the United States and China to shape the terms of a resolution.