U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker sat down with CNN’s Dana Bash to discuss the planned meeting in Alaska on Friday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Washington

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

The U.S. ambassador to NATO addressed whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be invited to an upcoming meeting in Alaska with President Trump and President Putin. The ambassador stated that while it is possible Zelenskyy could attend, the decision ultimately rests with President Trump and no invitation has been extended yet.

Discussions about a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine were also highlighted, with the ambassador noting that both sides must agree to any terms, including the contentious issue of territorial swaps. President Zelenskyy has publicly rejected the idea of ceding Ukrainian land, and technical negotiations are ongoing. The ambassador stressed the importance of ending the conflict to save lives and credited President Trump with facilitating recent peace efforts.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO asked if Zelenskyy will be invited to meeting

There is a key player currently not slated to be in Alaska and that is the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. Is it possible he will attend? Yeah, I certainly think it's possible. It's good to be with you this morning. You know, certainly there can't be a deal that everybody that's involved in it doesn't agree to. And, you know, I mean, obviously it's a high priority to get this war to end. You know, the carnage and the dying is terrible. I think this direct engagement by President Trump obviously is leading us closer to a peace. You know, the two sides have been communicating, they've exchanged prisoners, they've exchanged bodies of the fallen. But, you know, this, if we can get a deal done on terms that both sides agree, that will save thousands of lives. And ultimately, I think that's worth at least seeing if there's a chance to get that done. You say it is possible that President Zelensky joins Presidents Putin and Trump in Alaska. Where do those discussions stand? Well, obviously the decision is going to be made by President Trump. You know, he agreed to meet with President Putin in Alaska on Friday. And if he thinks that that is the best scenario to invite Zelensky, then he'll do that. And again, we have, you know, today's Sunday, the meeting's happening on Friday. There's time to make that decision. No decision's been made to this point. I know that you have seen President Trump suggested that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine would include, quote, some swapping of territories. But just hours later, the Ukrainian president rejected this idea of a land swap. He said he will not be, quote, gifting any land. Is ceding Ukrainian territory still on the table? Both sides, again, are going to have to agree to end this war. And, you know, we've seen it in the past in other contexts where to get a line that both sides can agree to certain, you know, strategic pieces that benefit either side are exchanged in order to make sure that they can both defend their territory successfully. So, you know, the technical people are talking, which is good news, because those are the ones that are going to say if land and what land would need to be swapped or exchanged. Certainly, I think, you know, I took Zelensky's comments at face value, which is that no big chunks or, you know, sections are going to be just given that haven't been fought for or earned on the battlefield. You know, but I come back to where I started, which is, you know, we need this war to end. We could save thousands of lives with a deal. And I think that by both sides communicating, President Trump meeting in Alaska on Friday with either one or both of the combatants, I think this is exciting. And I think President Trump's really the only one that could make this happen. You know, he's the sole reason I think this meeting is happening on Friday. He's a peacemaker. You know, he's averaging about a peace deal a month right now. We saw just this week where Armenia and Azerbaijan came together to settle their decades long conflict. It's been a series of peace deals. And so, you know, I think President Trump is best situated to see if a deal can be had and if both sides can agree to ending the slaughter.

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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U.S. Ambassador to NATO asked if Zelenskyy will be invited to meeting

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Ukraine Invasion