Russia Proposes Trilateral Summit with US and China on Ukraine, US Waives New Russia Sanctions Amid Escalating Drone Attacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a trilateral summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, with the meeting potentially taking place during the APEC summit in Shenzhen next month, notably excluding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This diplomatic overture comes as the United States, on October 18, 2026, waived new Russia-related sanctions that were mandated to take effect, a decision that has drawn criticism. Concurrently, the conflict has seen significant escalation, with Ukraine launching over 1,000 drones at Russia, striking oil export terminals and depots in St. Petersburg and causing fires and casualties. Russia's Defense Ministry reported destroying 1,015 Ukrainian drones over various regions, while Russia also conducted airstrikes on Ukrainian cities like Zaporizhzhia.