Trump Says "Russia Has Been Fine on Ukraine," Open to Putin-Xi Summit
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."
“[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.”