Russia and USA prepare for meeting of leaders in China

During an interview with Vesti journalist Pavel Zarubin, Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov stated Moscow, Beijing and Washington had begun preparations for a trilateral meeting involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.

"I can now say with certainty that Moscow, Beijing and Washington are, in principle, prepared for such a meeting, and preparations have already begun",

Yuri Ushakov said.

According to Ushakov, a separate bilateral meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen has not yet been agreed upon.

"We have not yet coordinated such a meeting, as the focus thus far has been on this trilateral engagement",

Yuri Ushakov said.

Ushakov added that the Russian and US presidents would still have an opportunity to meet informally during the summit’s official events.

"If both presidents are in the same place, they will at the very least greet one another and exchange words—whether while seated at a table or during official events. Major international summits like this one offer significant opportunities for such interaction",

Yuri Ushakov

According to Ushakov, Moscow was currently focused on preparations for the APEC summit in November. The question of Putin’s participation in the G20 summit, scheduled to take place in Miami in December, would be addressed afterward