Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov indicated that a three-way diplomatic encounter between the leaders of the U.S., China, and Russia remains a possibility. This potential engagement would coincide with the APEC gathering in China this November, although the specific topics for discussion remain undecided and Moscow has not yet proposed a formal agenda.

The prospect of such a talk arrives as President Donald Trump prepares to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington on Sept. 24. That visit features a formal state dinner and a delegation of Chinese CEOs, following early September meetings between U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and China's vice premier to discuss ongoing trade disputes.