President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L) (AP News Photo)
President Donald Trump will hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, a White House official has confirmed to The Epoch Times. Vice President JD Vance will also join the meeting with Zelenskyy.
The virtual meeting will come two days before Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that the Trump–Putin meeting in Alaska will be “one-on-one” and Zelenskyy will not attend.
When asked why Zelenskyy was not invited to the summit, Leavitt said that the meeting was arranged at Putin’s request, and Trump agreed, hoping “to walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war.”
She described the summit as “a listening exercise” for Trump.
“Look, only one party that’s involved in this war is going to be present, and so this is for the president to go and to get, again, a more firm and better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end,” she said.
On the choice of Alaska, Leavitt noted that there were many locations considered, but that Trump was “honored” to host Putin on U.S. soil. She said logistical details for Friday’s meeting are still being finalized in coordination with the Russian side.
Speaking during a press conference at the White House on Aug. 11, Trump said that he will use his upcoming meeting with Putin to learn the Kremlin’s “parameters” for ending the more than three-year war in Ukraine and determine whether there is a realistic path to peace.
He said he would brief Zelenskyy and European leaders immediately after his meeting and possibly arrange direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
“I’m going to meet with him. We’re going to see what the parameters are,” Trump said. “I’m then going to call up President Zelenskyy and the European leaders right after the meeting.”
Trump also said negotiations may bring both positive and negative outcomes for Ukraine, potentially involving land swaps and changes.
On Aug. 11, following his call with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, Zelenskyy accused Putin of trying to prolong the war.
“I shared Ukraine’s view on Russia’s true intentions and plans. We see it the same way, and it is obvious that the Russians simply want to buy time, not end the war,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
The Ukrainian leader said Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure prove that Putin has no intention of ending the conflict.
Speaking to journalists in Kiev on Aug. 12, Zelenskyy also ruled out handing over the Donbas region to Russia as part of a cease-fire deal.
“We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this. Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive,” Zelenskyy said.
The Alaska summit comes as Trump has ramped up pressure on Putin in recent weeks, promising increased sanctions on Moscow if peace is not reached. Trump has also increased pressure on major buyers of Russian oil, such as India.
Last week, the president imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on India, raising the total rate to 50 percent. Trump said that following this move, the Kremlin reached out to initiate talks.
