The White House is weighing whether to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to join next week’s historic meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, according to NBC News.
The White House and the Kremlin confirmed Friday that the two leaders will meet on Friday, Aug. 15, to discuss a possible end to the war in Ukraine.
A senior US official and three individuals briefed on internal talks, likely with permission to leak the news, told NBC News that the Trump administration is actively considering bringing Zelenskyy into the discussions.
“It’s being discussed,” one person familiar with the talks said, noting that no final decision has been made and it remains unclear whether the Ukrainian leader would travel to Alaska.
One official said it is “absolutely” possible that Zelenskyy could attend, adding, “Everyone is very hopeful that would happen.”
When asked if an official invitation had been extended, another White House official responded: “The president remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders. Right now, the White House is focusing on planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin.”
On Friday, Trump told reporters at the White House that negotiations over Ukraine were advancing rapidly and may involve swapping of territories. Zelenskyy is reportedly dead set against swapping territories.
“We’re getting very close to a deal,” the president said.
The Alaska summit would mark the first in-person meeting between Trump and Putin since the 2024 U.S. presidential election — and potentially the first time the leaders of the US, Russia, and Ukraine have met together since the war began.
Trump is seriously considering bringing his little pet comedian puppet along? The illegitimate dictator staying in power through martial law and deploying his goon squads to kidnap men off the streets to be killed on the line of contact?
This is already shaping up to be a clown show. Trump can just end funneling hundreds of billions of dollars and what weapons we have left to the Kiev regime and concentrate on dealing with the vast problems besetting our country.
Of course.
Imagine that. Inviting the leader of the country that was invaded to a negotiation about the future of his country. What a novel idea!
If Z-Manski is coming along, he better plan on bringing his tall ”Kiss” platform shoes as there’s a height restriction to this ride and he ain’t tall enough!
Nooooo! Shun the Green Goblin!
The property value would never recover…
Putin is the criminal here, Ukraine the victim. However Zelenskyy should not be involved at this stage. Far too much at stake. Very sad so many find this amusing. Shame on you.
The shame is American taxpayers being swindled into putting the fruits of our labor (and borrowed money) into paying for Ukrainian government general expenses including retirement payments etc with little to no accountability. Where’s those missing billions of dollars? Nice try Vlad.
Trump should definitely take Putin and Zelensky to the Alaska state Fair to see Weird Al.Trump could request that he play Canadian Idiot!
I’m appalled at the shamefully ignorant mocking “comments” on this column – there is a place for sarcasm and expressing bitterness, but not here and not now.
President Trump holds in his hands the potential for significant gain toward worldwide peace – I believe he understands this. There is no need for Ukraine to give up land. The key to discussion will be an offer to have Russia join NATO – to have the alliance guarantee the defense of Russian territorial integrity and economic trade. President Putin will gain the ability to restore the economic integrity of the Soviet Union while giving up the desire for political domination. The financial gain for Russia under this scenario is tremendous. We have common enemies – the defense agreement holds great benefit for all sides – NATO, Russia, and Ukraine. The rebuilding of Ukraine will be part of the discussion. The Doomsday Clock can wind backwards.
“ President Trump holds in his hands the potential for significant gain toward worldwide peace – I believe he understands this.”. You’ve been fooled again Rich.
Trump sees that concessions are necessary to stop this slaughter. He’s successfully pressured Russia into meeting with him to talk about ending the war.
Zelenskyy, if invited, will put on a big show of defiance and at some point storm out of the meeting. He’s already announced his unwillingness to any realistic deal.
Putin will seize on Zelenskyy’s tantrum and claim he’s done his part.
What will this do to Trump’s sanctions threats?
They may have a less contentious meeting without him, and possibly come to tentative agreements more easily, but Z is and Ukraine is who they are discussing. Z will have to ultimately approve any proposed deals, so maybe better he be there to eliminate any false hopes on particular items. No matter how they do it, nothing will be EZ about this. It’s been going on since 2014. In the end his presence might result in a faster realistic deal or flush out the real differences which could help in further negotiations. Or show the parties are not truly ready to come to terms. No matter what, it will be tough.
If Ukraine were the country I led, I’d stop slaughtering the Russian/Korean invaders and agree to peace when:
Putin is tried as the war criminal he is.
Russian forces retreat, and leave all parts of my sovereign country.
Russian pays at least one trillion dollars for the destruction of Ukraine property.
Russia pays $10 million dollars for each child they murdered. Approximately $7 billion. (700 kids X $10MM)
Russian troops that engaged in rape, torture and murder are tried and sent to prison for their war crimes.
Russian disarms so that it is no longer a threat to civilized countries of the world.
NATO begin the process of accepting Ukraine as a member nation.
Russia pays compensation- and punitive damages for each Ukrainian citizen killed.
As a bonus, Russia begins having free, and fair elections, and stops murdering reformers like Alexie Navalny.
Once the Russian people are freed from having a gangster regime representing them, they would finally have a chance to flourish with peaceful nations of the world.
Those would be my minimum conditions. Since Trump thinks he can appease a psychopath, he will embarrass himself, again, as Chamberlin did trying to appease another psychopath, Adolf Hitler.
Here’s hoping Trump’s goal is really to arrest Putin for war crimes the second he touches US soli. Not that would take some balls.
We can agree that Putin is not a good man, but however did you form a good opinion of Zelensky? He is also a tyrant and Ukraine has suffered from his leadership. Please study out a little more history of Z in the past. This whole fiasco has been two bad players destroying their respective countries. I’m tired of the “Putin bad” and “Zelensky good” scenario.
Zelenskyy represents himself.
And, it is doubtful he would accept such an invitation.
The Ukrainian people have no representation in this at all.
There is no deal. Just showmanship gone blind!
Why would Zelensky even want to attend, what for all practical purposes, is a meeting to discuss the terms of surrender for NATO’s proxy war in Ukraine?
The big winner in this war is Joe Biden.
It got him off the hook, as planned.
If zelenskyyyyyyy shows up, hide the silverware, he’d likely pocket a few pieces on his way out