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The White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Alaska next week, when President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to multiple reports.
“It’s being discussed,” one person familiar with the talks said, according to NBC News. The official emphasized no invitation has been finalized and it remains unclear whether Zelenskyy would attend. “Everyone is very hopeful that would happen,” the official added.
A senior White House aide said Trump “remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders,” though the administration is currently focused on the bilateral meeting Putin requested.
Trump announced Friday he would meet Putin on Aug. 15 in Alaska as part of an effort to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine. The White House initially said such a meeting would require Putin to also meet Zelenskyy, but Trump later dropped that condition.
If Zelenskyy does attend, it is uncertain whether he and Putin would meet face-to-face, sources said.
The diplomatic push comes after Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, met Putin in Moscow ahead of a Trump-imposed deadline for the Russian leader to agree to a ceasefire or face new sanctions. Putin has not agreed to halt fighting but outlined a proposal that would leave Russia in control of large areas of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy rejected the idea, vowing Ukrainians “will not give their land to occupiers.”
In a joint statement, leaders from France, Britain, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said negotiations must start from the current front lines and only in the context of a ceasefire.
“The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations,” the statement read.
“We reiterate that Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, the Budapest Memorandum, and successive Russian commitments. We underline our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” it added.