Trump, Xi and Putin Set for Historic Trilateral Meeting in China on November 19

U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to hold an unprecedented trilateral meeting in Shenzhen, China, on November 19, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

The summit, hosted by China in the southern technology hub of Shenzhen on November 18–19, will provide the setting for the first-ever meeting between the leaders of the three countries, which collectively possess the world's largest nuclear arsenals. Their previous encounters have taken place only in bilateral formats.

The White House has confirmed the planned meeting, while the Kremlin has also announced that the three leaders will gather in Shenzhen on the same day.

According to U.S. officials, Trump intends to discuss global nuclear arms reduction, describing the proliferation of nuclear weapons as a major international threat. The development comes after the expiration of the New START treaty, the last major nuclear arms control agreement between Washington and Moscow, earlier in 2026.

Trump has called for a new and broader nuclear arms control agreement that would also include China. However, officials have indicated that the proposed discussions are intended to initiate dialogue rather than secure an immediate agreement, with no major deals expected to be announced.

Iran is also expected to be among the issues discussed during the meeting, according to U.S. officials. Ukraine, however, is not currently on the agenda for the trilateral session, although separate diplomatic contacts between Washington and Moscow over the conflict are continuing through other channels.

Before the three-way meeting, Trump is scheduled to hold bilateral talks and a working lunch with Xi Jinping on November 19.

Analysts say the proposed gathering carries considerable diplomatic and symbolic significance, as it would bring together the leaders of three major nuclear powers for the first time. However, expectations of a major breakthrough remain limited because of the differing strategic priorities and positions of Washington, Beijing and Moscow.