A trilateral summit involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to take place, according to political analyst Georgy Bovt. He believes separate meetings between Putin and his American and Chinese counterparts are a more realistic scenario.

Bovt noted that the possibility of bringing all three leaders together had previously been discussed, but preparations for such a meeting have largely disappeared from public discussion. In his assessment, bilateral diplomacy now appears more likely than a joint summit involving Russia, the United States and China.

Speaking on Business FM, the analyst stressed that the substance of any Putin-Trump meeting would matter more than the event itself. He argued that the talks would take place after the US elections, which he expects Republicans to lose, potentially influencing Trump’s approach to negotiations.

Bovt also questioned whether a bilateral meeting could deliver meaningful results. He said Moscow has yet to outline any new proposals that might change its negotiating position toward Washington. In his view, earlier understandings and references to the spirit of Anchorage have lost their relevance, leaving the possibility that the two presidents would meet only to exchange formal greetings.

Earlier, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Beijing was considering arrangements for a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit. According to Ushakov, Xi Jinping had mentioned Trump’s expected participation and Putin’s invitation, raising the possibility of direct talks among the three leaders.