Trump says he is open to meeting Putin and Xi with or without Zelensky

Summary

US President Donald Trump said he is open to meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping with or without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying it is time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine. Euronews reports he said he is ready to meet Putin and Xi in China and renewed his criticism of Zelensky. Hindustan Times reports the remarks came days after Trump accused Zelensky of not wanting to end the war with Russia. CNBC reports that tensions between Trump and Zelensky have steadily risen in recent weeks, while Russia, which invaded Ukraine, has received multiple breaks from the U.S.

Timeline

1. CNBC

   19 Oct 2026, 21:00 UTCSource ↗

   CNBC reports that Trump says he would meet with Putin and Xi and criticizes Zelensky, noting that tensions between them have steadily risen in recent weeks while Russia has received multiple breaks from the U.S.

2. Hindustan Times

   20 Oct 2026, 03:50 UTCSource ↗

   Hindustan Times reports that Trump is open to meeting Putin and Xi with or without Zelensky, saying it is time for somebody else to negotiate for Ukraine, days after he accused Zelensky of not wanting to end the war.

3. Euronews

   20 Oct 2026, 04:52 UTCSource ↗

   Euronews reports that Trump says he is ready to meet Putin and Xi in China and renewed his criticism of Zelensky, saying it was "time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine."