Diplomatic engagement between the three leaders has accelerated in 2026, with multiple bilateral summits and explicit Kremlin statements raising the prospects for a trilateral encounter. In early September, a senior Russian aide confirmed that Putin and Xi discussed the possibility of a side meeting with Trump at the November 18-19 APEC summit in Shenzhen, where all three are expected to participate. Putin has signaled readiness for such talks while confirming his attendance, and Trump-Xi agreements to support each other's hosting of APEC and the December G20 have kept channels open. Traders assign 75.5% odds to a sighting before 2027, reflecting these scheduled multilateral forums and recent high-level contacts as the primary catalysts, though final confirmation of attendance and logistics remains subject to last-minute shifts.