White House is considering inviting Zelenskyy to talks in Alaska – NBC News
The White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Alaska, where President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin next week.
Source: NBC News, citing sources within the US government
Details: The sources reported that an official decision regarding Zelenskyy’s visit to Alaska has not yet been confirmed. Senior Trump administration officials say such a scenario is absolutely possible.
"Everyone is very hopeful that would happen," one official said.
"The President [Trump – ed.] 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," the senior White House official said in response to questions about whether the US had officially invited Zelenskyy to Alaska. [Ukrainska Pravda does not refer to Putin as president, and here is why – ed.]
A source familiar with the discussions stressed that if Zelenskyy does travel to Alaska, it is unclear whether he and Putin would be in the same room.
Background:
- On Friday 8 August, Trump announced that he would meet Putin on 15 August in Alaska. Initially, the White House made talks between Putin and Zelenskyy a condition for Trump’s meeting with the Russian ruler, but later Trump said this was not a prerequisite.
- Putin did not agree to a ceasefire after the deadline of Trump’s ultimatum but proposed a general framework for a peace deal that would allow Russia to retain control over the Ukrainian territories it already occupies.
- On 8 August, Trump stated there would be "some swapping of territories" between Russia and Ukraine in the interests of both sides.
- On 9 August, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy firmly stated that Ukrainians will not give their land to the Russians.
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