Russia has not ruled out an option for a meeting that would bring the leaders of the United States and China to the same table. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the agenda and expected outcomes would first need to be defined for such a meeting.
Ryabkov said the meeting's content and what it was intended to achieve were key elements of the preparation process.
Preparations required for the Shenzhen summit
Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov had previously raised the possibility that Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping could meet during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to be held in Shenzhen, China, in November.
Ushakov said a meeting attended by the leaders of Russia, the United States and China could be beneficial, but that responsibility for organizing it belonged to the country hosting the summit. He said diplomatic preparations would be required for such a meeting to take place.
Bilateral meetings planned for Putin
The Kremlin is also planning bilateral meetings for Putin during the summit. In addition to a planned meeting with Xi Jinping, the schedule includes a meeting with Donald Trump if suitable conditions arise.