Putin proposes Ukraine talks with Trump and Xi as Zelenskyy seeks to ease US tensions

• Putin has proposed talks with Trump and Xi Jinping on ending the Ukraine war, according to a report, but no meeting has been agreed.

• Zelenskyy held discussions with US envoys as Trump accused him of obstructing peace efforts and criticised Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries.

• Russia and Ukraine exchanged fresh attacks on energy infrastructure, causing deaths and widespread power cuts.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss ending the Ukraine war, according to the Wall Street Journal, as widening differences between Washington and Kyiv complicate diplomatic efforts.

The reported proposal emerged as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Sunday, seeking cooperation on peace efforts and air defence amid fresh Russian attacks.

Citing people familiar with the discussions, the Journal reported that Putin suggested the three-way meeting during a 9 October telephone conversation with Trump. The call also produced an agreement for the United States to purchase Russian diesel.

Moscow has suggested holding the talks alongside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen on 18–19 November, the newspaper reported. The proposal does not include Zelenskyy.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged discussions about a possible meeting but told the newspaper that neither the summit nor its potential agenda had been settled. A senior US official said Trump had not accepted the proposal, although he might be open to it.

The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Kremlin could not immediately be reached, and the Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington did not immediately respond.

The diplomatic manoeuvring follows Trump’s diesel agreement with Moscow and his signing of an order on Friday waiving key sanctions on Russia. Zelenskyy has warned that easing pressure on Moscow could encourage Putin and extend the conflict.

Trump and Zelenskyy trade criticism

Trump intensified his criticism of the Ukrainian leader on Sunday, claiming on Truth Social that his peace efforts were progressing but that Zelenskyy did not want the war to end.

He also criticised Ukraine’s attacks on Russian diesel refineries, arguing that they were disrupting international fuel markets, including supplies affecting the United States.

Zelenskyy struck a more conciliatory tone after his discussions with Witkoff and Kushner, saying Ukraine was prepared to engage constructively and expected the same commitment from its American and European partners.

He said the talks covered deliveries of US Patriot air defence systems, which Ukraine needs to counter Russian missile attacks.

In an earlier NBC interview, Zelenskyy warned that formal US support for Russia would represent a historic error and expressed hope that Trump would reconsider his decisions. He nevertheless welcomed the resumption of American intelligence sharing following a suspension that had weakened Ukraine’s ability to respond to Russian strikes.

The reported prospect of negotiations involving Russia, China and the United States without Ukraine has added to concerns in Kyiv and Europe about Washington’s increasingly accommodating approach towards Moscow.

Energy attacks deepen pressure

The diplomatic exchanges coincided with further attacks on energy infrastructure on both sides.

Zelenskyy accused Russia of violating a Trump-backed energy ceasefire 76 times and said Moscow was seeking to undermine Ukraine’s electricity and heating supplies before winter.

Russian strikes left tens of thousands of people without electricity across several Ukrainian regions, he said. Ukrainian officials reported three deaths.

Ukraine, meanwhile, launched a major drone attack on Saint Petersburg and the surrounding region late on Sunday. Russian authorities said an oil refinery caught fire and one person was killed.

Leningrad regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said air defences intercepted 144 Ukrainian drones. Russian state media described it as the largest drone assault on the Saint Petersburg area since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Russian social media company VKontakte said a data centre was struck, while online retailer Ozon reported damage to a logistics facility.

The Kremlin maintained that attacks on Russian cities would not alter its military objectives. Putin has repeatedly stated his intention to capture the remaining Ukrainian-held territory in the east.

Despite renewed diplomatic activity, the US-led effort to secure an end to the war has yet to produce a breakthrough, with disputes over sanctions, energy supplies and Ukraine’s role in negotiations adding to the uncertainty.

With agency inputs