The White House is considering inviting Volodymyr Zelensky to Alaska for peace talks, where Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet next week for a summit, US media reports.
A senior US official told NBC News that while no visit had been finalised, it was “absolutely” possible the Ukrainian president would join his US and Russian counterparts.
“Everyone is very hopeful that would happen,” the official said.
“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.”
Mr Trump will meet the Russian leader in Alaska on Friday, in a bid to broker a ceasefire deal that could end the three-and-a-half-year war.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on Friday to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine – AFP
European leaders have cautiously welcomed the plan for Putin and Mr Trump to meet, but warned any agreement must protect Kyiv’s and Europe’s security.
In a joint statement released late on Saturday night, the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Britain, Finland and the European Commission said: “The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine… International borders must not be changed by force… The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.
“We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.
“We agree that these vital interests include the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
They said talks could only happen in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities.
Zelensky could join Trump and Putin in Alaska – AFP
JD Vance and Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy hosted a meeting with representatives of Ukraine and European allies on Saturday at Chevening House in Kent, to discuss Mr Trump’s push for peace.
Mr Lammy told Mr Vance that a ceasefire had to take place in Ukraine before any other steps towards peace were implemented, according to reports which suggested a European counter-proposal had been put forward.
Andriy Yermak, Mr Zelensky’s chief of staff, who took part in the Chevening House discussions with US and European officials, said: “A ceasefire is necessary but the front line is not a border.”
A US official said the hours-long talks “produced significant progress toward President Trump’s goal of bringing an end to the war in Ukraine, ahead of President Trump and President Putin’s upcoming meeting in Alaska”.
The White House did not immediately comment when asked about the European counterproposals.
It was not clear what had been agreed at Chevening, but Mr Zelensky described the meeting as constructive.
“The path to peace for Ukraine should be determined together and only together with Ukraine this is key principle,” he said in his evening address on Saturday.
Mr Zelensky earlier rejected Mr Trump’s proposed plan for peace, vowing Ukraine would never cede any territory to the “occupier”.
Kyiv “will not give Russia any awards for what it has done,” the Ukrainian leader said, several hours after Mr Trump suggested an end to the fighting could involve “some swapping of territories”.
