CNN: Ukrainian president likely to be in Alaska during Trump-Putin summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to be present in Alaska on August 15, the day of the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to two sources within the White House administration.

Zelenskyy may participate in some meetings; however, a White House representative emphasised that any events involving him will likely take place after the Trump-Putin talks, Caliber.Az reports, citing CNN.

The Alaska summit, announced by Trump on August 8, 2025, via Truth Social, aims to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has resulted in over 1 million Russian and 400,000 Ukrainian casualties, per Western estimates. Trump has suggested a ceasefire involving “some swapping of territories,” a proposal met with fierce opposition from Zelenskyy, who declared on X, “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.” The summit’s location in Alaska, just 55 miles from Russia across the Bering Strait, avoids legal issues tied to Putin’s International Criminal Court warrant, as the U.S. is not an ICC member.

By Khagan Isayev