Washington – The White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Alaska, where President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, according to a senior US official and three people reported on internal discussions.
“It is being discussed,” said one of the people about discussions.
The senior American official and people reported about the discussions said that no visit has been completed and that it is not clear if Zelenskyy would finally be in Alaska for meetings.
The senior administration official said it is “absolutely” possible.
“Everyone has very hopeful that happens,” said the official.
When asked if the United States had officially invited Zelenskyy to Alaska, a senior White House official said: “The president remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders. At this time, the White House is focusing on planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin.”
The Ukrainian government did not respond to a request for comments.
Trump announced Friday that he will meet with Putin on August 15 in Alaska while trying to ensure a high fire in Ukraine. The White House had held a Putin meeting with Zelenskyy a condition for a meeting between Trump and the Russian president to take place, but Trump then said that was not a previous condition.
If Zelenskyy traveled to Alaska, it is not clear if he and Putin would ever be in the same room, said one of the people informed about the discussions.
The increase in diplomacy destined to end the war in Ukraine occurs after Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Putin in Moscow before a deadline on Friday that the president had established so that the Russian leader accepts a high or in front of new sanctions.
Putin has not accepted the fire, but proposed the contours of an agreement to end the war that would allow Russia to maintain large extensions of Ukrainian territory. Zelenskyy said challenging on Saturday that the Ukrainians “will not give their land to the occupants.”
Trump said Friday that between Russia and Ukraine, “there will be some exchange of territories to the improvement of both.”
Administration officials were working on Saturday to try to obtain support for a possible fire of the Ukrainian government and European leaders.
