The White House has no plans to hold a trilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US media reported, citing a US administration official.
Trump has not ruled out the possibility of Zelensky joining talks with Putin in Alaska, but at this point, the Ukrainian leader is not scheduled to attend the summit.
Russian Senator Alexei Pushkov noted that the choice of Alaska as the venue underscores the bilateral rather than multilateral nature of the talks.
The meeting between Putin and Trump is scheduled for August 15. According to media reports, the main topic will be peace in Ukraine, and the proposals under discussion may include a territorial exchange and Kiev’s refusal to join NATO.
The Kremlin confirmed the date and venue of the talks.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov explained the choice of Alaska by its proximity to Russia, which will allow the delegations to quickly reach the venue by flying across the Bering Strait. He added that in the coming days, the parties will actively work out the details of the meeting and warned that the negotiation process will not be easy.
This week, Trump announced that he would meet with Putin on August 15 in Alaska. “The long-awaited meeting between me, the President of the United States, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place next Friday, 15 August 2025, in the magnificent state of Alaska,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Zelensky will be in Alaska on August 15, but will not participate in the talks between Trump and Putin. This was reported by CNN, citing two sources in the US presidential administration.
According to the White House, Zelensky is likely to participate in some meetings that will take place after the talks between Putin and Trump. Most likely, Trump will meet with Zelensky to inform him of the results of his talks with Putin and what Ukraine should prepare for.
Zelensky’s reaction
After the announcement of the meeting between Putin and Trump, Zelensky immediately began calling European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. He also stated that he would not make any territorial concessions.
Zelensky expressed concern that the summit in Alaska between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump could lead to decisions on Ukraine being made without Kyiv’s participation.
In his speech, he said: “Any decisions that are against us, any decisions that are without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace.”
Zelensky also noted that Kyiv is ready for real decisions that could lead to an end to the conflict, but any compromises must be made only with Ukraine’s participation.
He again rejected the possibility of discussing territorial concessions, stressing: “The answer to Ukraine’s territorial questions is already in the Ukrainian constitution. No one will and cannot deviate from this. No one will give away their land.”
Earlier, Trump said at a press conference that Zelensky would soon have to “sign something” following discussions on the settlement of the Ukrainian issue.
