Zelensky’s role uncertain ahead of Putin-Trump summit: CNN
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Zelensky's potential participation in post-summit Alaska talks remains uncertain as Russia, Ukraine, and Western allies hold irreconcilable positions on a ceasefire and peace terms ahead of the August 15 Putin-Trump meeting.
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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky attends the parliament session in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, July 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Vadym Sarakhan)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may join certain discussions in Alaska, but only after the scheduled August 15 meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, CNN reported on Sunday, citing a White House official.
As of Saturday, US media said Zelensky had not received a formal invitation. While a CNN source acknowledged his participation "is possible," the Ukrainian leader "is not listed among the Putin-Trump summit's confirmed attendees."
The Kremlin and the White House confirmed on Friday that the Alaska summit will go ahead, marking the first US-hosted meeting between American and Russian leaders since the late Cold War. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov revealed that US special envoy Steve Witkoff, during a visit to Moscow earlier in the week, floated the idea of a trilateral meeting involving Zelensky, but Moscow "left it without comment," preferring to concentrate on bilateral preparations.
Putin, speaking Thursday, said a meeting with Zelensky could take place in the future but insisted "there must be conditions for such negotiations," which he described as "still far from being created." Zelensky, for his part, reiterated that he "would not make territorial concessions," citing Ukraine's constitution.
Alaska Talks Uncertain
The Alaska summit comes amid sharply conflicting positions. Russia has outlined a ceasefire proposal that includes Ukrainian troop withdrawals, a halt to mobilization and foreign arms deliveries, sovereignty restrictions, and recognition of Russian control over annexed territories, terms Kiev rejects outright. Zelensky has maintained that Ukraine's NATO aspirations and territorial integrity are non-negotiable.
European capitals, according to The New York Times, fear that Putin and Trump could reach a settlement over Ukraine without Kiev's participation. European officials are lobbying for Zelensky to be present in Alaska and have also expressed a desire to join the negotiations themselves, though such involvement is considered unlikely. Brussels has instead focused on advancing its own counter-proposal, calling for an immediate ceasefire, mutual withdrawal from contested zones, NATO-level security guarantees for Ukraine, and restoration of internationally recognized borders.
The diplomatic push is backed by military planning: a 31-nation "coalition of the willing," led by the UK and France, has signaled readiness to deploy peacekeeping forces should a comprehensive peace deal be reached.
Read more: Europe, Ukraine offer new peace plan ahead of US-Russia summit: WSJ
With both Moscow and Kiev holding firm to incompatible demands, the Alaska talks are set against a backdrop of deep mistrust and high geopolitical stakes, leaving the prospect of Zelensky's involvement, and any meaningful breakthrough, uncertain.
