The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump plan to meet in the Chinese city of Shenzhen next week. Washington has not yet confirmed the meeting, and the Chinese government has not said whether it will host a three-way session.
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy aide, made the announcement on Thursday, November 12. It comes before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), a 21-economy group, gathers its leaders in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19.
Our APEC Shenzhen live hub tracks every step.
Key Facts
- Claim. Putin’s aide says he and Trump plan talks in Shenzhen on Ukraine; Washington has not confirmed.
- Dates. Leaders meet Nov. 18-19; the CEO Summit runs Nov. 17-18.
- Trilateral. The Kremlin says work continues on a first-of-its-kind three-way meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- Prediction markets. Polymarket traders price China as the next Trump-Putin meeting place at 94.5% (4:22 p.m. ET, Nov. 12).
What the Kremlin Said
Ushakov said the leaders will “continue to discuss the full range of issues related to the settlement” of the war in Ukraine during the planned Shenzhen meeting. He added that work is under way on a trilateral with Xi, which he called the first in that format.
The comments followed a Kremlin meeting between Putin and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the same day. That meeting came after US-led talks in Abu Dhabi, and Moscow called it useful and said the talks would continue.
Why Kyiv and Europe Are Uneasy
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has warned that a meeting of the three leaders without Kyiv at the table would encourage Putin to keep fighting. European governments have also pressed for a seat in the process.
Reports say Witkoff and Kushner proposed adding European representatives to the trilateral talks. We have not seen that confirmed by either government.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction exchange, traders put the chance that China hosts the next Trump-Putin meeting in 2026 at 94.5%, with about US$2.8 million traded. A separate market on whether Trump, Putin and Xi are seen together before 2027 trades at 94.0%, with about US$106,000 traded; prices as of 4:22 p.m. ET on November 12.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Beijing and Washington Have Said
Trump said in recent days that he expects to meet Xi and Putin in Shenzhen. He said topics could include nuclear disarmament and ending the war with Iran.
China’s foreign ministry has said only that Beijing is in communication with the relevant parties. It has not announced a Putin-Trump or three-way format.
What It Means for You
For US readers, a Putin-Trump meeting on Chinese soil would put Beijing in the middle of Ukraine diplomacy, with Xi as host. Shenzhen is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern Time, so a morning session on November 18 would land on the evening of November 17 on the US East Coast; no start time has been published.
Visitors to the summit city will also find it easy to pay: Shenzhen’s metro has run a trial since June 30, 2026 that accepts contactless Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB cards on all 17 lines and 432 stations.
What Is Not Known
It is not confirmed that Trump will travel, or that Xi will join a three-way session. The agenda and time of any meeting are also unknown.
The Kremlin remarks reach us through several news reports, not a published transcript. We will update the live hub when Washington or Beijing responds.
Sources
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov (November 12, 2026); Shenzhen municipal government APEC programme; Polymarket (prices read 4:22 p.m. ET, November 12); China’s Foreign Ministry briefings; Shenzhen municipal government metro notice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who said Putin and Trump will meet in Shenzhen?
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy aide, said so on Thursday, November 12. Washington has not confirmed the plan.
When is the APEC leaders’ meeting?
The leaders’ meeting runs November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, China. The CEO Summit runs November 17 and 18.
Will Xi join a three-way meeting?
Ushakov said work is under way on a trilateral with Xi, the first in that format. Beijing says only that it is in communication with the relevant parties.