The White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Alaska, where President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, NBC News reported, citing a senior U.S. official and three people familiar with the discussions.
“It’s being discussed,” one of the people familiar with the discussions said.
The senior U.S. official and the people familiar with the discussions said no visit has been finalized, and it’s unclear whether Zelensky will ultimately be in Alaska for the meetings. A senior administration official said it’s possible.
“Everybody is very hopeful that it will happen,” the official said.
Asked whether the United States has formally invited Zelensky to Alaska, a senior White House official said: “The president is open to a three-way summit with the two leaders. “The White House is currently focused on scheduling the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin.”
The Ukrainian government did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump announced on Friday that he would meet with Putin in Alaska on August 15 to help broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. The White House had initially made a meeting between Putin and Zelensky a condition for a meeting between Trump and the Russian president. Still, Trump later said that was not a precondition.
If Zelensky does travel to Alaska, it is unclear whether he and Putin will ever be in the same room, said one person familiar with the discussions.
