Trump Casts Doubt on Xi Meeting as White House Pulls Back on Putin Talks
Diplomatic uncertainty grows as Trump’s planned summits with China and Russia both face delays and mixed signals; USTR Greer hearing postponed
President Donald Trump’s high-stakes summit diplomacy is facing fresh uncertainty on two fronts, as the White House confirmed there are no immediate plans for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump himself cast doubt on a long-anticipated encounter with China’s Xi Jinping. The twin developments underscore the shifting ground in Trump’s bid to position himself as a global dealmaker — with both Moscow and Beijing signaling caution amid tense negotiations over war, trade, and global influence. In another development today, an important hearing with key witness U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has been postponed.
Trump Signals Xi Meeting Isn’t Guaranteed
Speaking at a White House luncheon with Republican senators on Tuesday, Trump suggested that his much-anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping may not happen as planned. “Maybe it won’t happen. Things can happen where, for instance, maybe somebody will say, I don’t want to meet,” Trump said, adding that while he still hoped to meet Xi in South Korea in two weeks, “you never know in this business.”
The remark marked a shift in tone from earlier comments, when Trump predicted a “fantastic deal” would come from his next meeting with Xi — one he said would be “fantastic for both countries, and fantastic for the entire world.”
White House officials have declined to confirm a date or location for the possible Trump/Xi summit, saying only that “discussions are ongoing.” Administration sources described the President’s remarks as part of a broader strategy to manage expectations amid unresolved trade and security issues with Beijing.
Analysts say the uncertainty reflects real tension in U.S./China relations. Beijing continues to resist Washington’s demands on technology exports and rare-earth minerals, while Trump has threatened to impose additional 100% tariffs on Chinese imports if no agreement is reached. The White House, meanwhile, faces pressure from U.S. manufacturers and farm groups who are watching the tariff standoff closely.
“Both sides have reasons to keep the meeting vague for now,” said one Asia policy expert quoted by Bloomberg. “China wants leverage, and Trump wants flexibility.”
White House Confirms No Immediate Plans for Putin Meeting
On the same day, the White House tamped down speculation that Trump would soon meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying there are “no plans in the immediate future” for such a summit.
The clarification follows weeks of hints from Trump and senior officials that a face-to-face meeting was being considered — possibly in Budapest — to discuss a potential cease-fire in Ukraine. But a senior official told Reuters on Tuesday that “no date, location, or agenda has been finalized,” and that the President’s diplomatic team was “focused on preparing conditions for meaningful talks.”
Reports indicate that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently held a phone call described as “productive,” but no in-person follow-up is scheduled. The Kremlin also suggested that “preparations could take time,” signaling that Moscow is in no rush to proceed.
The about-face highlights the complexity of Trump’s approach to Russia, where his stated goal of brokering “peace through strength” has collided with the realities of battlefield politics and Western skepticism. According to The Washington Post, U.S. allies in Europe have voiced concern that a premature Trump-Putin meeting could undercut ongoing NATO coordination over Ukraine policy.
Global Implications
Together, the two developments suggest that Trump’s “dealmaker” brand is entering a more cautious phase — one shaped by competing geopolitical pressures and uncertain diplomatic payoffs.
In China’s case, trade and technology remain the sticking points. In Russia’s, the issue is war and credibility. Yet both tracks reveal a President navigating between bold promises and the limits of global leverage.
For now, the world’s attention remains fixed on whether Trump can turn these unpredictable summit overtures into substantive results — or whether both the Xi and Putin meetings will remain symbolic gestures of a diplomacy in waiting.
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