Trump Agrees to Three-Way Summit With Putin and Xi

President Donald Trump has effectively aligned the United States with Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, a shift that excludes European democracies from the final decision-making process.

The president acquiesced to a proposal by Vladimir Putin to hold a three-way summit in China. The meeting would include President Xi Jinping of China and would be held in Moscow’s proposed location to resolve the war on terms favorable to Russia. Ukraine and its European allies would not be part of the negotiations.

This diplomatic move coincides with a reduction in U.S. support for Kyiv’s defense infrastructure. Over the previous weekend, the administration degraded U.S. Starlink and Starshield connections to Ukraine. These systems are critical for intercepting Russian turbojet drones and providing early warning of ballistic missile attacks. The administration has also blocked European nations from sending Patriot missiles they have already purchased to Ukraine, leaving the country vulnerable to aerial bombardment.

Trump’s stance on the conflict has shifted from a pretense of neutrality to an open alignment with Moscow. He recently stated that Russia has been fine on Ukraine, a claim made while Russian forces continued to strike urban apartment blocks and civilian infrastructure. The administration has also lifted restrictions on Russian diesel exports to the world, a move Trump defended as necessary to keep Russia at the bargaining table.

The alignment with Russia extends to the Middle East, where the U.S. president has denied significant Russian support for Iran. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently reaffirmed Russia’s full support for Tehran during a news conference in the Iranian capital. Lavrov said, “I am confident that Iran’s cause, like Russia’s, is a just cause,” while standing beside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Trump has continued to make concessions to Moscow despite these documented ties.

The proposed three-way summit mirrors historical gatherings where major powers divided global influence. The arrangement resembles the post-World War II Yalta Conference, where leaders from the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom reshaped the postwar world. Trump’s current approach seeks to divide the world into three spheres of influence dominated by the United States, Russia, and China. This strategy would leave European and Asian democracies to deal with their respective adversaries without direct U.S. partnership.

Moscow has welcomed the new dynamic. Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s chief negotiator on Ukraine, shared an image on social media depicting a Russian bear and a U.S. eagle preparing for battle against a British lion and the European Union flag. The imagery reflects the Kremlin’s view that the alliance between Washington and Moscow is now solidifying against their European counterparts.

The administration’s actions include denying involvement in the cuts to intelligence and satellite support, though Elon Musk indicated that Trump would have the final say on such decisions. The president’s Republican Party has largely supported these moves, leaving a Congress elected in two weeks to determine if it will confront the executive branch’s foreign policy direction.