The White House is reportedly weighing whether to invite Volodymyr Zelensky to join Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at their upcoming Alaska summit.
Trump and Putin are set to hold high-stakes talks on Friday aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, with US officials said to be “very hopeful” the Ukrainian president could also attend.
A senior administration official told NBC News a three-way meeting remains “absolutely” possible, while another official confirmed: “It’s being discussed.” However, no formal invitation has yet been extended to Kyiv.
One senior White House source stressed: “Right now, the White House is focusing on planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin.”
Zelensky has insisted he must be included in any peace negotiations that directly affect his country, warning that any deal struck without Kyiv would be “stillborn decisions against peace” and doomed to fail.
“Any decisions that are against us, any decisions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace,” he said. “They will not achieve anything.”
His position has been echoed by European leaders including Sir Keir Starmer and the heads of France, Italy, Poland, Finland and the EU, who issued a joint statement warning there can be “no peace without Ukraine.”
“We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests,” it read. “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. We are united as Europeans and determined to jointly promote our interests.”
European officials have also proposed an alternative peace plan, The Wall Street Journal reports, amid speculation Washington and Moscow are considering a territorial “swap” deal. Such an agreement would see each side give up territory, something Russia is expected to present as a victory.
Zelensky has vowed never to concede Ukrainian land to Moscow, while Europe has argued territorial changes should only be permitted if Ukraine is given security guarantees — and if any Ukrainian withdrawal is matched by a Russian pullback. Moscow would also need to agree to a ceasefire before further steps.
If it goes ahead, a potential trilateral meeting would be the first time Zelensky and Putin have met since the war began. The Ukrainian leader has long sought a face-to-face encounter with the Russian president to confront him over alleged atrocities, but Putin has signalled reluctance.
“I have nothing against it in general… But certain conditions must be created for this,” Putin recently said. “Unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions.”
Trump has dismissed suggestions that next week’s summit hinges on Zelensky’s attendance, telling reporters: “No, he doesn’t,” when asked if Putin would need to meet Zelensky in order to meet him.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said preparations are continuing for either a bilateral or trilateral meeting: “The White House is working through the details of these potential meetings… details will be provided at the appropriate time.”
