Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in comments published on Wednesday that an expected meeting between Russian, US and Chinese leaders could offer a platform to redistribute influence, similar to what happened after the Second World War. "We really don't want this to turn into 'Yalta 2, 3, 4', with a redistribution of influence," he said, referring to the 1945 summit of Soviet, US and British leaders on dividing up the post-war map of Europe.

Source: AFP via Rapporteur

The Kremlin has indicated that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US and Chinese counterparts, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit next month is under preparation. The Atlantic reported that Putin had proposed the trilateral format for the APEC summit, according to reporting summarised by IR-Press. "What China, Russia, and the United States might discuss has not yet been clearly defined today," Zelenskyy said in comments to journalists.

'Russia wants this meeting more than anyone'

"Russia wants this meeting more than anyone," Zelenskyy said, warning against handing Moscow "another major diplomatic advantage". He said he saw no benefit in the format for China and a clear advantage for Russia, and argued that today's fragmented, technology-changed world cannot simply be divided into spheres of influence the way the post-war map was.

Source: IR-Press

Russia has for years been seeking a comprehensive agreement with Washington on Europe's security architecture, and in particular an end to NATO's expansion near Russia's borders. Moscow casts its full-scale invasion of Ukraine as countering a threat posed by NATO — a position widely rejected in Kyiv and the West, which says the invasion is an imperialistic land-grab by Putin.

Abu Dhabi first, and more Patriots

His comments came as Russia and Ukraine are due to meet next month with US envoys in the United Arab Emirates in a bid to revive talks towards ending Europe's worst conflict since the Second World War. No date has yet been set for the Abu Dhabi meeting, but Zelenskyy said Ukraine wanted it to take place before the potential three-way talks between the Russian, US and Chinese leaders. Separately, US President Donald Trump said early on Wednesday that a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy could be arranged "very soon", according to MENAFN reporting.

Zelenskyy also urged the US to increase its supplies of Patriot air defence missiles, crucial to intercepting Russian attacks. Ukraine had been receiving 12 a month from the United States this year, but has "to shoot down 150 ballistic missiles a month", Zelenskyy said. Kyiv is also seeking a joint agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure ahead of winter and a maritime ceasefire to help safeguard its grain exports, but Russia has rejected the idea of partial pauses in fighting before a final peace agreement has been reached.