“[To reporters on the South Lawn before boarding Marine One, asked whether he would attend the summit with Putin and Xi that Putin proposed:] I would do it, not so much for Ukraine, because Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine. They haven't been doing much. … We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearization. … [Asked whether Ukraine would be discussed without Zelenskyy present:] Anything I could do to end the war, whether somebody's there or not, whatever I can do to end the war. … Zelenskyy doesn't know what he's talking about. … And to be honest, I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.
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Trump Says "Russia Has Been Fine on Ukraine," Open to Putin-Xi Summit
Trump Says He Would Meet Putin and Xi in China "Not So Much for Ukraine, Because Russia, Frankly, Has Been Fine on Ukraine" — and That "It's Time for Somebody Else to Negotiate on Behalf of Ukraine"; Thom Tillis Says "Putin Is Playing President Trump Like a Fiddle," and Don Bacon Says the President Is "Morally Blind on This War"
October 20, 2026
What happened▸
The Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 18, 2026, that Vladimir Putin had proposed, on an Oct. 9 call with President Trump, a three-way summit with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the war in Ukraine — without Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Kremlin floated the Nov. 18-19 APEC meeting in Shenzhen as a venue, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said discussions had taken place but nothing was final.
Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn on Monday, Oct. 19 — three days after waiving the Graham Act sanctions on Russia, and the day a Russian drone killed six people including young children in a Kharkiv park — Trump said he would attend, "not so much for Ukraine, because Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine. They haven't been doing much." He said the meeting would be about "nuclear weapons and denuclearization," said "Zelenskyy doesn't know what he's talking about," and added, "I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine." Ukraine's foreign minister called a summit without Kyiv unacceptable.
The remarks drew immediate Republican criticism. On CNN, Sen. Thom Tillis said "Putin is playing President Trump like a fiddle," and Rep. Don Bacon called the president "morally blind on this war" and said he is "aiding and abetting Putin." Sen. Dick Durbin, co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, said any negotiations "must include Ukraine."
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4 Statements
“[On CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront," after Trump said Russia "has been fine on Ukraine" and that he was open to the summit with Putin and Xi:] Putin is playing President Trump like a fiddle. … I saw what this murderer Vladimir Putin has ordered. … [He warned that] history is not going to look good on an America that failed to rise up and defend the western world.
“[Statement, as co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, after reports of a possible Trump-Putin-Xi summit that would exclude Ukraine:] Any negotiations about the future of Ukraine after years defending against Russian assault must include Ukraine. … Ukraine has earned its freedom and right to determine its future. [He said Ukraine's future is] not for President Trump to sell out to Putin and Chinese President Xi, [and that Trump's] halfhearted efforts to end the war have failed.
“[In a CNN interview with Jake Tapper, after Trump said Russia "has been fine on Ukraine":] This is absolutely disgraceful coming from our president, and as a Republican, I'm embarrassed about it. Our president's morally blind on this war. He's pitched his lot in with the dictator and the war criminal. … Putin hates us. The president doesn't see that. … But to say that Russia's been fine on Ukraine and they bomb cities every night, I was there a month ago. They're bombing gas stations, restaurants, shopping malls. They're committing terrorism against Ukrainians. … The president, I do believe, is aiding and abetting Putin. And he's undermining Ukraine. Do I call that treason? No, I don't know his motives, but he's dead wrong. … The president's leverage in this Congress is shot.