The White House is reportedly contemplating extending an invitation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to join a summit meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska next Friday.
Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, and there are discussions regarding inviting the Ukrainian leader, as per NBC News, citing sources familiar with internal deliberations.
According to a senior U.S. official, Zelensky’s participation is seen as a possibility, although no formal invitation has been discussed with Kyiv yet. This development follows NATO deploying warplanes after Russia downed a Western F-16 fighter jet in Ukraine.
When asked about a potential invite, a senior White House official mentioned, “The President is open to a trilateral summit with both leaders. Currently, the focus is on organizing the requested bilateral meeting with President Putin.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed skepticism about the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that any peace deal sidelining Kyiv is destined to fail.
The upcoming meeting in Alaska on Friday is considered a crucial juncture. Zelenskyy, in a recent Telegram post, cautioned that excluding Ukraine from peace discussions would lead to ineffective outcomes.
Zelenskyy’s statements raise concerns that direct talks between Trump and Putin could undermine the interests of Kyiv and Europe, emphasizing that solutions excluding Ukraine are counterproductive to peace efforts.
This meeting could mark a significant moment in a conflict that began over three years ago when Russia invaded Ukraine, resulting in numerous casualties. However, there is uncertainty whether it will halt the violence as Moscow and Kyiv remain at odds over peace terms.
In a joint statement, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and European leaders emphasized that Ukraine’s future must involve Kyiv and underscored the need for negotiations within a ceasefire framework.
The Mirror has reached out to the White House for additional comments.