Trump, Xi and Putin to Hold First-Ever Trilateral Meeting in China on Nuclear Arms
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Shenzhen, China, on Thursday 19 November 2026, for the first-ever trilateral meeting of the leaders of the world’s three biggest nuclear powers. The White House confirmed the Trump Xi Putin meeting on Friday 13 November, saying nuclear arms reduction will sit at the top of the agenda.
Trump Xi Putin Meeting — Quick Reference Summary
| Detail | What is known |
|---|---|
| What | First-ever trilateral meeting of Trump, Putin and Xi |
| When | Thursday 19 November 2026 |
| Where | Shenzhen, China, on the sidelines of the APEC summit |
| Announced | White House, Friday 13 November 2026; spokeswoman Olivia Wales |
| Main agenda | Reduction of nuclear weapons worldwide |
| Also on the agenda | The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran |
| Not on the agenda | Russia’s war in Ukraine; no separate Trump–Putin one-on-one |
| Treaty backdrop | The New START treaty between the U.S. and Russia expired earlier in 2026 |
| Expectations | Senior U.S. official: “We do not expect to get to any kind of agreement” |
| Confirmation status | Beijing and Moscow have not confirmed the meeting |
A First in Modern Diplomacy: Three Nuclear Powers, One Table
The Trump Xi Putin meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen. No three-way meeting of American, Russian and Chinese leaders has ever happened before, which is why the White House announcement drew instant attention around the world.
Trump leaves Washington on Monday 16 November for a four-day trip to Asia that also includes a stop in the Philippines. The Shenzhen meeting is the centrepiece of that journey, and it will be followed by a bilateral working lunch with Xi, their fourth meeting since Trump returned to power last year.
Nuclear Arsenals at the Centre of the Shenzhen Agenda
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told reporters on Friday that Trump “will discuss the reduction of nuclear weapons in the world, whose proliferation President Trump believes is very dangerous”. She confirmed the meeting would take place on Thursday in China.
Trump’s insistence on putting nuclear arms at the centre of the talks has riled Beijing, according to Reuters, because China is hosting a summit focused on trade and commerce. Beijing has for years resisted direct talks with Washington about its nuclear programme, arguing that Russia and the United States should speak directly because of their far larger arsenals.
Russia holds the most stored nuclear warheads, followed by the United States and China, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Washington wants China to join the conversation anyway. “This is a difficult topic for China to address, but we do think it’s time for China to sort of step up, you know, to the adults’ table,” a senior Trump administration official said.
What the Expired New START Treaty Leaves Behind
The meeting comes in the first year without a standing nuclear arms treaty between Washington and Moscow. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty between the United States and Russia expired earlier in 2026, leaving no formal cap on the two largest arsenals.
A senior U.S. official was blunt about what the Shenzhen meeting can deliver. “We do not expect to get to any kind of agreement,” the official said, adding: “This is the beginning of hopefully a conversation that can be productive going forward.”
That framing matters. The White House is presenting the session as the start of a process rather than a deal-making moment, and neither Beijing nor Moscow has confirmed that it will engage on arms reductions at all.
Iran on the Table, Ukraine Off It
Trump will also raise the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran in the meeting, a senior official said. Russia’s war in Ukraine, by contrast, is not expected to be discussed.
The president is not expected to hold a separate one-on-one meeting with Putin during the trip. “We’ve had many meetings recently with the Russians, but China is not really a part of that track, so it doesn’t seem appropriate to have the Ukraine discussion there,” the official said.
Trump is also not expected to discuss Ukraine’s access to satellite communications services provided by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Musk is joining Trump on the trip to China but will not attend the meeting with Xi and Putin, according to the official.
Trump is also not expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his Asia trip. That point matters for readers following North Korea’s first flag change in 78 years, which Pyongyang announced the same day the White House confirmed the Shenzhen meeting.
What Beijing and Moscow Have — and Have Not — Said
Neither Beijing nor Moscow has confirmed the meeting. The Chinese and Russian embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment, Reuters reported.
It was not clear whether Russia or China intended to engage in a conversation about arms reductions with Trump. China has rebuffed attempts to talk about nuclear arms with Russia and the United States, which have the largest stockpiles of such weapons.
The uncertainty cuts both ways. If either leader declines to engage on the nuclear question, the meeting risks becoming a photo opportunity rather than a negotiation. If they do engage, it would be the first time all three nuclear powers have discussed their arsenals together.
The backdrop is a wider U.S.–China contest over technology and trade. The same week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly blamed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over Nvidia chips reaching China, showing how far apart Washington’s own agencies are on the China file.
The Stakes for the APEC Summit and Beyond
For the APEC summit itself, the trilateral meeting changes the tone. A gathering built around trade and commerce will now also carry the world’s most sensitive security question, and every leader in Shenzhen will be watching what the three men say afterwards.
For Trump, the meeting is a test of a long-held idea: that the three largest nuclear powers can agree to cut their arsenals together. For Xi, it is a test of whether China can be drawn into arms talks it has long resisted. For Putin, it is a rare chance to sit as an equal with the other two at a moment when his war in Ukraine dominates Western diplomacy.
The answers will not come on Thursday itself. Officials on all sides have played down expectations, and the White House has already said no agreement is expected. What the meeting will show, at minimum, is whether the three leaders are willing to talk about the weapons that define their power — in the same room, at the same time, for the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Trump Xi Putin meeting?
Thursday 19 November 2026, in Shenzhen, China, on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
What will the three leaders discuss?
Nuclear arms reduction is the main item, alongside the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Ukraine is not expected to be discussed.
Has a meeting like this happened before?
No. The White House described it as the first-ever trilateral meeting of the leaders of the United States, Russia and China.
Will Trump meet Putin alone?
No. U.S. officials said no separate one-on-one meeting with Putin is planned.
Will Trump meet Kim Jong Un on the trip?
No. A U.S. official said Trump is not expected to meet the North Korean leader during his Asia trip.
Is an agreement expected?
No. A senior U.S. official said: “We do not expect to get to any kind of agreement,” calling the meeting the start of a conversation.
Myth-Busting
Myth: The three leaders will sign a new nuclear arms treaty in Shenzhen.
No. U.S. officials have said no agreement is expected; the meeting is framed as the start of a conversation.
Myth: Ukraine will be on the agenda.
No. U.S. officials said the war in Ukraine is not expected to be discussed, and no separate Trump–Putin meeting is planned.
