Trump-Xi-Putin trilateral meeting next week: Iran war on agenda, but Nvidia and Ukraine likely off the table

US President Donald Trump is set to hold a historic trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 19 (local time), on the sidelines of next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China's tech hub of Shenzhen. The meeting would mark an unprecedented gathering of leaders from the world's three biggest nuclear powers.

Trump-Xi-Putin trilateral meeting: What we know

The trilateral meeting, which will be hosted by Xi Jinping, was confirmed by the White House on Friday and subsequently by the Kremlin on Saturday (local time). According to reports, the meeting comes at a difficult time for relations between the three countries.

AP reported that a three-way meeting would provide an opportunity for the leaders to discuss the United States' war with Iran and Trump's goal of reaching an agreement on nuclear arms stockpiles.

Trump has warmly embraced his Chinese counterpart after the two countries agreed to a truce in October last year, following a brief trade war. However, differences remain over Washington's conflict with Tehran, along with other tensions between the world's two largest economies.

Similarly, Trump has also sought to build a relationship with Putin, despite the Russian President continuing his nearly five-year-old war with Ukraine and Moscow deepening its military, intelligence and diplomatic partnership with Iran.

The trilateral meeting is intended to serve as the "beginning of hopefully a conversation" on nuclear disarmament "that can be productive going forward", a US official told AP, adding that no agreements are expected to be announced.

What's on the agenda?

Reports suggest that Trump plans to discuss the ongoing war with Iran with his Chinese and Russian counterparts.

Apart from the ongoing conflict, the three leaders are also likely to discuss a new nuclear arms treaty, which remains a key issue for the US and Russia.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which capped Washington and Moscow's strategic nuclear arsenals, expired in February this year. When the treaty lapsed, Trump rejected Moscow's call to extend the agreement, which was signed in 2010 and had provided a framework for limiting the two countries' nuclear arsenals.

Instead, he called for a "new, improved and modernized" deal that would also include China.

Beijing, however, has been reluctant to join an agreement that it was not involved in negotiating, according to reports. Citing a Trump administration official, Reuters reported that although the issue could be discussed and potentially lead the conversation, "we do not expect to get any kind of agreement".

The US-Israel war with Iran, which began on February 28 after the two countries launched joint operations against Tehran, is another major issue that could feature prominently in the discussions. While China's export trade has been affected by the conflict, Russia has benefited from rising energy prices.

According to Al Jazeera, another possible topic of discussion could be the US-China trade rivalry. Trade tensions and competition over control of the microchips used to power artificial intelligence (AI) technology continue to affect relations between Beijing and Washington.

What's off the table?

As Beijing and Washington continue to compete for dominance in the AI industry, one issue that is unlikely to feature in the trilateral meeting is the latest spy scandal involving Jensen Huang, the former Nvidia CEO, who stepped down earlier this week amid reports of two extramarital affairs, including one with an alleged Chinese spy.

An official told CNBC, "The situation with Nvidia should not really have any bearing on the trip."

The official added, "In all of our discussions and negotiations with the Chinese, we do not negotiate American export controls ... and we don't expect it to figure at all in any of our conversations with the Chinese while we're there."

When asked whether Trump would raise the allegations involving Alice Huang, the Chinese businesswoman, with Xi, the official said, "The focus of a meeting with President Xi, at least on the economic side, is going to be about implementation of the trade agreement."

The official further added that national security-related matters, including ongoing examinations and investigations in the US, were "probably not something that we're going to read the Chinese in on at this moment".

Another issue Trump is likely to avoid raising is Russia's nearly five-year-old war in Ukraine. The US President has previously softened his stance towards Moscow, allowing Russia to export diesel and waiving some sanctions. At the same time, he has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being unwilling to end the war.

The proposed trilateral meeting comes at a time when Washington, Moscow and Beijing are navigating several overlapping geopolitical and economic tensions, from the war in Iran and the conflict in Ukraine to nuclear disarmament and competition over AI technology.

Although the meeting could open the door to direct discussions on some of these pressing issues, expectations remain limited, with US officials indicating that no immediate agreements are likely.

About the Author

Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.