US President Donald Trump has expressed willingness to convene a trilateral summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to a White House official speaking on Saturday. The proposed meeting aims to address the ongoing war in Ukraine, though the White House is currently prioritizing a bilateral discussion with Putin at his request, the official noted.
In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump confirmed plans to meet Putin in Alaska on August 15 to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict, describing the talks as “highly anticipated.” When questioned earlier about whether Putin should first meet with Zelenskyy, Trump dismissed the suggestion, stating, “No… I’ll do whatever I can to stop the killing,” according to Reuters. The potential trilateral summit would mark a significant diplomatic effort to bring the two leaders together, who have not met since December 2019.
The White House’s focus on a bilateral meeting with Putin comes amid ongoing efforts to broker peace in the region. The official emphasized that no final decisions have been made regarding the inclusion of Zelenskyy in the Alaska talks. The announcement follows recent diplomatic engagements, including a visit by US envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow, where discussions with Putin were described as “constructive” by a Kremlin foreign policy aide, as reported by the BBC.
Trump’s openness to the summit reflects his administration’s push to resolve the conflict, which has caused significant loss of life and displacement since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. The White House official did not provide further details on the agenda or potential outcomes of the proposed meetings.
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