President Trump Mulls Trilateral Summit

What happened

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a three-way meeting with President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, raising the idea in an October 9 call with Trump. Trump said he was open to it but had not agreed, and said he wanted to discuss nuclear weapons and denuclearization instead of focusing on Ukraine. Putin’s proposal centered on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, possibly without Ukrainian or European leaders at the table. Trump said he would join if Xi wanted it, and suggested China as a venue next month. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said excluding Ukraine would encourage Putin. No meeting has been finalized, and China has not publicly agreed.

How each side covered it

From the left

Left-leaning outlets framed the idea as a dangerous tilt toward Putin, stressing the risk of excluding Ukraine from talks about its own war. HuffPost cast Trump’s approach as a de facto alignment with Putin’s war aims and a weakening of Ukraine’s defenses. MEDIAite emphasized alarm over a summit that could sideline Kyiv and strain unity with European allies.

From the right

Right-leaning outlets split between great-power stakes, arms-control hopes and criticism of Zelenskyy’s role in talks. The New York Post cited experts who said Putin wants a new Yalta-style division of influence, but called that ambition unrealistic. Newsmax focused on a possible nuclear diplomacy opening, while noting China’s resistance makes progress uncertain. ZeroHedge portrayed Trump as seeking peace and Zelenskyy as obstructing it.

Headlines

President Trump Mulls Trilateral Summit

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What happened

How each side covered it

From the left

From the right

Headlines

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Right3

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