Moscow says it is unaware of any plans for a three-way summit in Beijing this September
FILE PHOTO © Sergey Bobylev / Host photo agency RIA Novosti
The Kremlin has nothing to say about a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming World War II commemoration in China, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
The ceremony, which marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in WWII, is expected to take place in Beijing in early September – Putin accepted Xi’s personal invitation to attend while the Chinese leader was visiting Moscow for the Victory Day celebrations in early May.
“We know nothing about the possibility of such a meeting,” Peskov told TASS, responding to a report by the Times on Friday which claimed that Beijing is considering using the occasion to host a trilateral summit.
Last month, Trump said President Xi had invited him and First Lady Melania Trump to visit China during what he described as a “very good” phone call focused on trade. However, there has been no official confirmation of any specific date from Washington or Beijing.
Analysts quoted by the Times suggested the anniversary could offer a symbolic platform for the three powers to engage in dialogue amid worsening global tensions. The British paper further claimed that Beijing had “tacitly encouraged speculation” on the subject by refusing to deny similar reports by Japan’s Kyodo News last month.
Chinese scholar Jin Canrong told Guancha that a joint appearance by Xi, Putin, and Trump at the military parade would “send a powerful message to the world.”
While Trump has publicly pushed for a resolution to the Ukraine conflict and reengaged with Russian leadership since returning to office in January, frustration has grown over stalled negotiations.
On Monday, Trump threatened to impose 100% secondary tariffs on Russia’s trading partners if no breakthrough is achieved within 50 days.
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Trump has also escalated a trade dispute with China, resulting in a tit-for-tat tariff standoff that peaked with 145% US duties on Chinese imports. Relations eased somewhat after a temporary deal was reached to reduce restrictions on key exports and freeze the tariffs at 30% and 10% respectively.