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Trump to discuss Iran war, but not Ukraine, at China summit
US President Donald Trump is expected to discuss the Iran war and nuclear weapons reduction with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a trilateral meeting next week. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, marking the first three-way meeting of the leaders.
A US official said Ukraine was not expected to be discussed because Washington is pursuing separate negotiations with Kyiv and Moscow, and China is not part of that process. US envoys have recently held talks with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while the White House said Trump considers nuclear proliferation dangerous.
In short
- Trump plans to raise Iran and nuclear weapons with Putin and Xi.
- Ukraine is expected to remain outside the trilateral talks.
- Washington says it is handling Ukraine negotiations separately.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Keeping Ukraine off the trilateral agenda could help focus the meeting on issues where all three governments can engage directly, such as Iran and nuclear weapons. Separate talks with Kyiv and Moscow may also give the parties more room to negotiate Ukraine’s future without adding another major power to the table.
The case against
Leaving Ukraine off the agenda risks sidelining a country whose security is directly at stake, while decisions or understandings among major powers could still affect it. Including Ukraine, or raising the war openly, could reinforce the principle that its future should not be discussed without acknowledging its interests and agency.
Explained simply
The United States, Russia and China are the world’s three largest nuclear powers, and their leaders have met together only rarely. Talks between them can touch on how to prevent nuclear weapons spreading and how to reduce the risk of conflict between major powers.
Iran’s nuclear programme has long been a source of tension, as countries disagree over its aims and how to limit it. Russia and China have their own ties with Iran, while the United States has been involved in efforts to restrict the programme.
Ukraine’s war has involved separate diplomatic efforts by Kyiv, Moscow and Washington. China has called for a political settlement, but it is not part of the US-led talks described in this report.
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