China proposes organizing meeting between Putin and Trump - WSJ

According to sources in Beijing and Washington, Chinese officials recently approached Trump's team through intermediaries with a proposal to hold a bilateral summit and facilitate peace efforts after a possible ceasefire.

However, WSJ notes that this proposal was met with skepticism in both the US and Europe due to deep concerns over the increasingly close ties between Beijing and Moscow.

China’s initiative particularly excludes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from participation. The idea of US-Russia negotiations on Ukraine’s future and European security, without Kyiv’s involvement, contradicts the West’s long-standing commitment to ensuring Ukraine's inclusion in any discussions about its future.

On February 12, Trump stated that he had spoken directly with Putin to resolve the conflict. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had a "long and very productive phone conversation" with Putin, and both leaders agreed to visit each other’s countries and begin immediate negotiations to end the war. "I believe these efforts will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon," Trump wrote.

Later, Trump told journalists in the Oval Office that he and Putin "will likely meet for the first time in Saudi Arabia," though he did not specify a date.

The Kremlin confirmed that Putin and Trump had agreed on a meeting, and Putin invited Trump to visit Moscow.

The White House declined to confirm whether it had received China’s proposal but dismissed it outright. "This is completely unworkable," a White House representative stated.

When asked about the proposal, a Chinese Embassy official in Washington said he was unaware of it but added: "We hope the parties will work toward de-escalation and seek a political settlement."

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. Now, his administration states that this will happen within the first 100 days.

No peace talks have taken place since the early months of the war, which is now approaching its third anniversary. Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, has provided military aid to Kyiv and has not engaged in direct talks with Putin since Russia’s invasion.

The West has repeatedly urged China to leverage its close ties with Russia to help end the war. Beijing insists that it is not a party to the conflict but has consistently pushed for peace talks on its own terms.

Last year, China and Brazil jointly proposed an international peace conference "at an appropriate time", calling for equal participation from both Ukraine and Russia.

Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers demand that Europe be involved in future negotiations to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Trump himself dodged a question on whether he considers Ukraine an equal participant in the peace process, calling it an "interesting question." He stated that Ukraine "will have to make peace."