Zelenskyy invited to Alaska talks considered

Washington weighs inviting Ukraine's president to a meeting in Alaska with Trump and Putin as a Friday session on Ukraine approaches

White House weighs Zelenskyy attendance at Alaska Trump Putin summit

The White House is weighing whether to invite Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a summit in Alaska with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, according to NBC News reporting relayed by Sky News. The invitation is not final and officials say it is still being discussed. The gathering, tied to plans for a Friday discussion aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, could change the diplomacy landscape if Zelenskyy attends.

A senior White House official said the administration remains open to a trilateral summit, but for now the focus is on planning the bilateral meeting with Putin. The article notes Zelenskyy has warned that Russia's occupation and annexation moves must not be forgiven, while European allies have pressed for continuity and coordination with Washington in pursuing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.

This proposal signals a shift toward more direct, high level diplomacy, but it also risks elevating a high-stakes negotiation into optics. Inviting Zelenskyy could compress timelines and add urgency to talks, yet it risks blurring Ukraine’s bargaining position or triggering backlash at home if concessions appear to favor Moscow. The Alaska setting matters too: a remote venue can test trust and complicate logistics while emphasizing spectacle over steady diplomacy.

If the invitation moves forward, it will test alliance unity among Western partners and the resilience of Ukraine’s strategic goals. Washington must balance domestic political realities with international expectations, ensuring that any summit preserves Kyiv’s red lines and avoids unintended signals about territorial concessions.

Highlights

Diplomacy moves quickly when the stage is set, and this chapter is still being written.