White House 'considering inviting Zelenskyy to peace summit meeting', sources say

The White House is reportedly "considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the summit meeting" with Vladimr Putin in Alaska next Friday.

Trump and Putin are set to meet to discuss the war in Ukraine and an invitation for the Ukrainian leader is “being discussed,” according to NBC News, citing three people briefed on internal conversations about the meeting.

A senior U.S. official reportedly told NBC News that Zelensky’s attendance is “absolutely” possible, but it is believed that no official invite has been talked about with Kyiv as of yet. It comes after NATO scrambled warplanes as Russia shoots down West's F-16 fighter jet in Ukraine onslaught.

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When quizzed over an official invite, a senior White House official told NBC: “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.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has cast doubt over the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, cautioning that any peace agreement which sidelines Kyiv is doomed to fail.

The meeting, set for Friday in Alaska, is being seen as a potentially pivotal moment. Zelenskyy, who voiced his concerns via a Telegram post on Saturday, warned that shutting Ukraine out of peace talks would only result in "dead solutions."

Zelenskyy's remarks highlight fears that direct dialogue between Trump and Putin could undermine both Kyiv's and Europe's interests, emphasising that "Any solutions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time, solutions against peace. They will not bring anything. These are dead solutions, they will never work."

This meeting could be a turning point in a conflict that started over three years ago when Russia invaded its western neighbour, leading to tens of thousands of casualties. However, there is no guarantee it will end the violence as Moscow and Kyiv are still at odds over their peace terms.

In a joint statement last night, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission said Ukraine's future cannot be decided without Kyiv.

It said: "Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities.

"The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations."

The Mirror has contacted the White House for further comment.