Kremlin: Preparations underway for meeting between Russian and Chinese presidents on the sidelines of APEC summit

Moscow -- The Russian presidency (the Kremlin) announced that preparations are underway for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, confirming that the talks would cover bilateral relations and coordination between Moscow and Beijing in international forums. Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying that Putin’s agenda for the summit is still being prepared and that there are no specific details yet regarding a trilateral meeting of the leaders of Russia, the United States, and China. Peskov added that if both Putin and Trump attend the summit, they would have the opportunity to communicate in one way or another, noting that the question of a bilateral meeting between the two presidents has not yet been decided and that the picture will become clearer in the coming period.

In a related development, the Kremlin spokesperson said that the issue of a trilateral meeting between Putin, Trump, and Xi Jinping had been raised in previous communications, but no specific proposals or agreements had been reached at that time regarding its date and agenda.

On the humanitarian file, Peskov affirmed the success of the humanitarian operation carried out in the city of Alyoshki, praising the level of coordination among the participating parties and commending the efforts of Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova within the framework of the operation. The Kremlin spokesperson expressed gratitude to the American side, particularly to Melania Trump, for the support provided in finalizing the humanitarian arrangements related to Alyoshki, clarifying that there are currently no plans to carry out similar operations, while emphasizing that the interests of citizens remain the top priority.

The operation involved delivering humanitarian aid and evacuating residents who wished to leave the city, under arrangements for a local ceasefire and in coordination between the Russian commissioner and her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Lypynets, with U.S. mediation.

Regarding the energy file, Peskov said that the future of Russian gas supplies to Europe would remain contingent on the willingness of consumer countries and the capabilities of suppliers, noting that developments on the ground indicate that it is currently impossible to resume gas supplies to Europe via Ukrainian territory.

As for domestic political developments in the United States, the Kremlin described the U.S. midterm elections as an internal matter, reaffirming non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. (End) D.A.N. / A.P.G.