The Lead

All Eyes Are on Shenzhen

by Dennis Small (EIRNS) — Nov. 13, 2026

“We are about 10 days past the decisive midterm elections here in the United States. And yet the state of the world today is one of great indecision, of fluidity, of crises, of turmoil…. At this point, all eyes are on the upcoming meeting in Shenzhen, China, between the Presidents of China, Russia, and the United States—Xi Jinping, Trump, and Putin.”

So began the Nov. 13 deliberations of the 180th weekly meeting of the International Peace Coalition.

The Nov. 10-11 meeting in Abu Dhabi of high-level delegations of Russia, the United States, and Ukraine—with the London-led Europeans trying unsuccessfully to join the talks—ended on a cautiously optimistic note.

The Russians expressed satisfaction that, at long last, the issue of a new European security architecture was raised for discussion, as part of negotiations to end the Ukraine war. They again stated their appreciation of President Trump for his sincere efforts to end that war. But a number of top spokesmen, such as Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, also expressed their strident opposition to the Europeans being included in the talks, because they “are generally obstructing the negotiating process and seeking to disrupt it.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov made the same point with the greater diplomatic finesse that his post demands: “Once we understand their [the Europeans’] real intentions and their willingness to contribute to the peace process, then we can make a decision on holding talks in an expanded format.”

For the American side, presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are trying to convince the Russians to let the Europeans in the door—despite the fact that the London-led Europeans have sabotaged the peace process at every step along the way. “We cannot conclude this deal without the Europeans being at the table,” Kushner complained. “They’re our partners, and it’s important for them to be involved,” Witkoff told reporters on Nov. 12 as he boarded a plane leaving Moscow after briefing President Putin on the Abu Dhabi meeting.

The European Union, meanwhile, held a summit in Dublin today to debate among themselves who will get the fourth chair to represent the EU at the next round of talks on Ukraine—despite the fact that the table at this point is only set for three.

Ryabkov made the relevant point: “Their [the Americans’] task after that will be to bring their protégés to their senses, including our European colleagues, who have so far shown not the slightest desire to act reasonably and continue to be inclined to recklessly provide the Kiev regime with all kinds of assistance.”

If that cannot be done, then the likelihood of achieving a durable peace in Ukraine is nil.

And so, all eyes turn to Shenzhen, China, where Presidents Trump, Putin, and Xi will meet and discuss the need for a new global security architecture, among other topics.

Such a meeting has been urgently and consistently called for by Schiller Institute founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche, going back to Jan. 4, 2020, the day after Iranian leader Gen. Qassem Soleimani assassinated by the Trump administration, when she wrote:

“We call on President Trump to meet with Presidents Putin and Xi to not only address the immediate danger of war in Southwest Asia, but to do so with permanent effect by creating a New Paradigm for the world—to change the world, as [Lyndon] LaRouche said.

“Such a paradigm must be based on the principles of the Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years War in Europe. Warring nations broke the cycle of retribution and revenge and acted for the ‘advantage of the other.’

“Such a paradigm must end geopolitics and imperialism, and establish a new financial and strategic architecture for the world, based on defense of the sovereignty and cultural integrity of all nations.”

That remains our urgent mission today.

Contents

Strategic War Danger

New World Paradigm

Collapsing Imperial System

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