Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reported plans of a trilateral summit between his country, the United States, and China highlight the influence of Beijing on the four and a half year conflict.

Putin floated the idea of the meeting in a phone call with President Donald Trump earlier this month, per the Wall Street Journal, citing a former Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter. The meeting of the three leaders wouldn’t include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky or any of Ukraine’s European allies, a prospect that has triggered alarm in Ukraine and across European capitals. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov confirmed the pitch to the outlet, claiming all three parties were open to it.