Why does President Trump want a trilateral meeting with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, two of the world’s top thug chiefs of state?
Beijing has acknowledged that plans are indeed underway for the “historic meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin” that we’ve been hearing about for some weeks now (Associated Press, November 6, 2026).
Nothing is set, but the three-leader gathering would take place this month on the sidelines of a regional summit in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
If it happens, it would be historic. Experts, however, say the three leaders are unlikely to discuss anything substantive because their interests are at odds, but they
Stop right there. So why hold this “historic” meeting, if not only will it not be another Yalta (as one commentator tells us) but nothing at all will happen?
Well, it wouldn’t be altogether pointless. It would give Xi—who would be “carefully choreographing the meeting”—another opportunity to exhibit himself on the world stage as being at least on a par with the U.S. president. And as even his superior, if Trump is as gushing and laudatory as he was in the last meeting with Xi. Putin may expect a similar prestige-serving benefit.
Trade-truce maintenance
What’s in it for Trump and the United States? Nothing, unless something substantive happens after all. If Xi and Putin agree that China and Russia will stop helping Iran, and then China and Russia stop helping Iran, that would be good.
AP suggests that the meeting would help in “maintaining a fragile trade truce that is set to expire in January.” Just the having of the meeting could do the trick, even if “the three leaders are unlikely to discuss anything substantive.”
But maybe not: “In a sign that tensions persist, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a Friday video call with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng urged Beijing to take ‘concrete actions to fully implement its past commitments, particularly as they relate to agricultural purchases, rare earths, and other critical minerals,’ according to a statement from Greer’s office.” What if Trump echoes Greer, Xi agrees to ensure follow-through by his trade officials, and things continue as before?
Nukes, Ukraine war
Trump says he wants to talk about nuclear arms control at the meeting, a subject of no interest to the Chinese.
And “Putin is focused on talking about the war in Ukraine without Kyiv at the table.” Since resuming office, President Trump has spoken one-on-one with Putin repeatedly about the war, to no apparent effect.
Meanwhile, says one of the experts cited by AP, “China wants the image but not the costs” of the meeting.
