Russian President Vladimir Putin had reportedly suggested a summit between himself, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping for a deal to end the Ukraine war.
The meeting was mentioned in a phone call to Trump on Oct. 9, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing a former Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter. The call also produced a deal for Moscow to sell diesel oil on the global market.
The summit is not confirmed, but if it takes place will not involve Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and may take place at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November in the Chinese city of Shenzhen.
The report comes amid mounting tensions between Ukraine and the U.S., its largest military backer. The Trump administration's recent steps that seem to be taking a pro-Russian turn have caused alarm among European allies and prompted criticism even from some members of Trump's own Republican Party in the U.S.
Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump had defended his decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, as well as an executive order on Oct. 18 to waive new Russia sanctions from a bill introduced by the late Senator Lindsey Graham.