WASHINGTON: The White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to a summit in Alaska between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a White House official told The Hill’s sister network NewsNation.
It remains unclear if Zelensky will attend the meeting as details are yet to be finalized, The Hill reported.
Trump announced on Friday that he will meet with Putin in Alaska next week to discuss ending the over three-year-long war between Russia and Ukraine. The president has not ruled out hosting a meeting involving both Eastern European leaders, despite earlier Kremlin opposition, The Hill added.
“The President remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders. Right now, the White House is planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin,” a senior White House official told The Hill’s NewsNation on Saturday.
The possible invitation follows Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff’s recent meeting with Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, their fifth summit this year. This meeting came just two days before the president was set to impose new sanctions on Moscow.
During the talks, Putin reportedly proposed a complete ceasefire, which would involve Ukraine withdrawing its military from the Donetsk region, allowing Kremlin control of both Donetsk and Luhansk, The Hill reported.
Trump said on Friday that some territorial swapping would take place for “the betterment of both” countries.
Zelensky responded on Saturday morning, dismissing the idea of ceding land to Russia. “Of course, we will not give Russia any awards for what it has done. The Ukrainian people deserve peace,” he said.
Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Zelensky’s top adviser Andriy Yermak, Vice President Vance, and European national security advisors met in Kent, England, to discuss the ceasefire proposal.
“The UK’s support for Ukraine remains ironclad as we continue working towards a just and lasting peace,” Lammy wrote after the meeting, The Hill reported. (ANI)