“He is not part of this”: Trump did not confirm plans to invite Zelensky to Alaska and criticized the Ukrainian president’s stance on peace with Russia

U.S. President Donald Trump has not confirmed any plans to invite his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to the upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the U.S. state of Alaska.

The briefing was streamed on the White House website.

“He is not part of this,” Trump said when asked by reporters whether Zelensky had been invited to the August 15 meeting.

Trump also stated that he maintains good relations with Zelensky but disagrees with his position on a territorial swap.

“I was a little concerned by what Zelensky said: ‘I need approval under the constitution.’ He didn’t need approval to enter the war… but he needs approval for a territorial exchange,” the U.S. president remarked.

On August 9, Zelensky said he would not allow a “second partition” of Ukraine, commenting on a possible withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas. According to him, the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits any territorial concessions.

Putin and Trump are scheduled to meet on August 15 in Alaska. As Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov noted, Moscow and Washington will be working out the parameters of the meeting in the coming days.