The White House is weighing the idea of inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Alaska next week, where President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, NBC News reported, citing senior US officials.
“It’s being discussed,” one source told NBC, while another confirmed it was “absolutely” possible. The official added, “Everyone is very hopeful that would happen.”
So far, there is no official confirmation of Zelenskyy’s attendance, and it remains unclear if he would join the Alaska discussions. When asked if an invitation had been sent, a senior White House official replied, “The president remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders. Right now, the White House is focused on planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin.” The White House is weighing an invite for Volodymyr Zelenskyy to join Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, as Trump pushes for a Ukraine ceasefire, though it remains unclear if Zelenskyy and Putin would meet directly.
Trump announced on Friday that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15 to push for a Ukraine ceasefire, calling the talks “a critical step toward ending the conflict.” Initially, the White House had made a direct meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a precondition for the summit, but Trump later said it was not necessary for the talks to proceed. Even if Zelenskyy accepts an invitation to attend, officials say it remains uncertain whether he and Putin will hold any face-to-face discussions, given the deep mistrust and stark differences between them.
The move comes after Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited Moscow ahead of Trump’s deadline for Putin to agree to a ceasefire or face new sanctions. Putin has resisted, proposing instead a deal that would let Russia keep large parts of Ukrainian territory. Zelenskyy rejected the offer on Saturday, declaring that Ukrainians “will not give their land to occupiers.”
Trump has hinted at possible compromises, saying Friday that “there’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both,” a remark that has already sparked debate in Kyiv and across Europe. While the specifics of such a proposal remain unclear, diplomats warn it could involve sensitive territorial concessions that Ukraine has repeatedly vowed to reject. Meanwhile, US officials are quietly working behind the scenes to secure both Ukrainian and European support for a potential ceasefire plan, framing it as a pragmatic step to stop the bloodshed even if it falls short of a full resolution.
