Politics

Trump says he is open to three-way meeting with Putin and Xi during China trip

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is ready for a three-way meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and suggested it could take place during his expected visit to China in November, according to Sky News Arabia. He told CNN he might consider such a meeting. RT Arabic reported that he indicated Iran's nuclear disarmament could be on the agenda, while Sky News Arabia described the topic more broadly as nuclear weapons.

سكاي نيوز عربيةMonday, October 19, 2026, 22:58Covered by 3 sources

Illustrative photo: Empty meeting room with a long wooden table and gray chairs before a brick wall. Photo by Jonathan Wells on Unsplash

Why it matters

The United States, Russia and China are among the world's largest nuclear powers, so any meeting of their leaders on nuclear weapons would carry weight for global stability. If Iran's nuclear file is on the agenda, it would matter directly to Gulf states, though the meeting remains only a possibility based on Trump's remarks.

Background

The United States, Russia and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council, and all three possess nuclear weapons. Any meeting of their leaders therefore carries particular political weight. Iran's nuclear program has long featured in international diplomatic debate.

Key points

The headline of CNN Arabic's report said Trump again attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the same remarks, though the available excerpt gives no details.

What’s next

According to Sky News Arabia, the three-way meeting could take place during Trump's upcoming visit to China in November. The material gives no specific date for it, and CNN quoted Trump as saying only that he may consider it.

How outlets covered it

All three outlets agreed that Trump signaled openness to a three-way meeting with Putin and Xi. Sky News Arabia stressed his stated readiness and tied the meeting to the November China visit, to discuss nuclear weapons. CNN Arabic quoted him as saying he "may consider" it, and its headline added his renewed attack on Zelensky. RT Arabic focused on Iranian nuclear disarmament as a possible agenda item; its headline said he "intends" to discuss it, while its text said it "may be" among the topics. The China visit does not appear in the available excerpts from CNN and RT, and Sky News Arabia did not mention Iran.