US envoy to NATO says Zelenskyy could attend Alaska summit
Ambassador Matthew Whitaker was asked on CNN whether Zelenskyy might join US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday.
'Yes, I certainly think it's possible,' he said. 'Certainly, there can't be a deal that everybody that's involved in it doesn't agree to. And, I mean, obviously, it's a high priority to get this war to end.'
The planned summit without Zelenskyy has raised concerns that a deal would require Kyiv to cede swaths of territory, which the European Union has rejected.
In a flurry of diplomacy, Zelenskyy held calls with 13 counterparts over three days including Kyiv's main backers Germany, Britain and France.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday he hoped and assumed that Zelenskyy would attend the summit.
Whitaker said the decision would ultimately be Trump's to make.
'If he thinks that that is the best scenario to invite Zelenskyy, then he will do that,' he said, adding that 'no decision has been made to this point.'
Tens of thousands of people have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with millions forced to flee their homes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan's month at the helm of UN Security Council
Pakistan, a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council, assumed the presidency of the council in July. This was not just another rotation of a customary role. It was a demonstration of what principled, proactive and inclusive leadership looks like at a time of great global turbulence. By firmly placing the focus on multilateralism, respect for international law and the pacific settlement of disputes, Pakistan steered the council's work with clarity of purpose and a sense of urgency. That Pakistan was able to deliver concrete results reflects the strength of its diplomatic credentials. This is the eighth time that Pakistan has been elected by the UN membership to serve on the Security Council as a nonpermanent member. There is a long tradition of excellence and leadership that the Pakistani delegation has been able to draw from. From peacekeeping to peacebuilding, Pakistan has always remained a forceful voice calling for dialogue and diplomacy, championing the rights of the unrepresented, underprivileged and marginalized. From Day 1, Pakistan's approach has been anchored in its long-standing commitment to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter. As president, Pakistan's brief to the council was rooted in familiar themes: upholding transparency, remaining constructive, and promoting cooperation to deliver the fundamental elements of the UNSC's mandate. Pakistan effectively used both formal and informal spaces to press for concrete outcomes. From peacekeeping to peacebuilding, Pakistan has always remained a forceful voice calling for dialogue and diplomacy. Ahmad Farooq Pakistan convened two signature events during its month-long presidency. The first was the high-level open debate on 'Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and the Peaceful Settlement of Dispute,' chaired by Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Ishaq Dar. The meeting underscored the UN's collective commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes and greater utilization of the tools available in the UN Charter to address various ongoing challenges. The Security Council also adopted by consensus the Pakistan-sponsored Resolution 2788 that reflected this common objective. The second key event was a briefing on the collaboration between the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, also chaired by Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister. The briefing contributed to amplifying the Islamic world's collective voice at the UN. It also resulted in a presidential statement calling for deeper and more structured engagement between the two organizations. This initiative reflected Pakistan's long-standing belief that regional organizations are indispensable partners in achieving peace and stability. Both these marquee events, as well as the open debate of the UNSC on the Middle East and the Palestinian question organized by the Pakistani presidency, provided an ample opportunity for UN member states to highlight the plight of the people of Gaza, who are braving the worst atrocities in recent memory at the hands of an occupying power. These formal meetings augmented pro-Palestinian voices and gave them a platform to urge for more concrete and urgent efforts to end the genocide in Gaza. Pakistan was able to leverage its leadership role to shine a spotlight on the plight of the besieged people of Gaza. Ahmad Farooq The Palestinian cause has always been a top priority for Pakistan. It is a sacred trust for every Pakistani diplomat, not only in the UNSC but around the world. Notwithstanding the obvious deadlock in the council, Pakistan was able to leverage its leadership role to shine a spotlight on the plight of the besieged people of Gaza. In his official pronouncements, Dar insisted on three urgent priorities: an immediate ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access and the protection of civilians under international humanitarian law. We also lobbied, together with other like-minded countries, and coordinated closely with Saudi Arabia and members of the Joint Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee to further the case for Palestinian rights, including the early establishment of an independent, viable and contiguous Palestinian state based on internationally agreed parameters. Both within the council's hallowed chamber, as well as during numerous closed-door consultations, Pakistan's message has remained clear and unambiguous: silence in the face of suffering is complicity. Pakistan's leadership of the UNSC offered a timely reminder that multilateralism remains the most reliable way to address our collective challenges — both imminent and distant. Pakistan's focus was not on picking sides but on building bridges. We are committed to remaining the leading voice in support of dialogue and diplomacy, especially in cases of foreign occupation and the denial of fundamental human rights. Along with other members of the council, as well as our regional and international partners, Pakistan will continue its efforts to preserve and promote international peace and security, focusing on international law and the UN Charter. • Ahmad Farooq is Pakistan's ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Leaders
3 hours ago
- Leaders
Syria, Turkey Sign Defense Cooperation Deal after Ankara Talks
The Syrian Defense Minister signed a memorandum of understanding with his Turkish Counterpart on military training and consultancy after talks in Ankara on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Over the last few months, both countries had been negotiating a comprehensive military cooperation agreement to help rebuild the Syria after the fall of Al-Assad's regime in December. During the talks, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of obstructing the new government's efforts to rebuild Syria after over a decade of civil war. He said Israel had 'fueled certain difficulties' in Syria and cautioned that Israeli security 'cannot be achieved by undermining the security of neighboring countries.' Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Syrian Counterpart Asaad Al-Shibani 'To the contrary, you should make sure your neighboring countries are prosperous and secure. If you try to destabilize these countries, if you take steps to that end, this could trigger other crises in the region,' Fidan added. Condemning SDF's Failure to Comply with the Deal Earlier this month, a Turkish Defense Ministry source stated that Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have failed to comply with a deal signed with the new government earlier this year to integrate into Syria's state institutions. The source also warned that the recent clashes between the Kurdish parties and government forces threaten the country's unity, according to Reuters. 'It has not escaped our attention that the SDF terrorist organization's voice has become louder, empowered by the clashes in Syria's south,' the source told reporters at a briefing in Ankara. Turkey considers the US-backed SDF a terrorist organization and has repeatedly noted that it expects the group to abide by the deal to disarm and integrate into Syria's state institutions. 'The SDF terrorist organization's attacks in the outskirts of Manbij and Aleppo against the Syrian government in recent days damage Syria's political unity and territorial integrity,' the source added. In March, Syria's President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Chief Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement to integrate the civil and military institutions of Kurds into the Syrian government. However, the implementation of this deal was held up by differences between both parties. Related Topics: Jordan to Host Syria-US Meeting on Supporting Reconstruction Israeli Ground Forces Storm Syria in Bold Weapons Raid Qatar Boosts Syria's Power Supply with Expanded Gas Delivery Scheme Short link : Post Views: 10
Asharq Al-Awsat
4 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
What to Know About the Putin-Trump Summit in Alaska
The US-Russia summit in Alaska is happening where East meets West — quite literally — in a place familiar to both countries as a Cold War front line of missile defense, radar outposts and intelligence gathering. Whether it can lead to a deal to produce peace in Ukraine more than 3 1/2 years after Moscow's invasion remains to be seen. Here's what to know about the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, the first summit in four years: When and where is it taking place? The summit will take place Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning. It played a key role in the Cold War in monitoring and deterring the Soviet Union. It's Putin's first trip to the US since 2015 for the UN General Assembly in New York. Because the US isn't a member of the International Criminal Court, which in 2023 issued a warrant for Putin on war crimes accusations, it's under no obligation to arrest him. Is Zelenskyy going? Both countries confirmed a meeting between only Putin and Trump, despite initial suggestions that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might take part. The Kremlin has long pushed back against Putin meeting Zelenskyy -– at least until a peace deal is reached by both sides and is ready to be signed. Putin said last week he wasn't against meeting Zelenskyy "but certain conditions need to be created" and were "still a long way off." That raised fears about excluding Ukraine from negotiations. Kyiv and its European allies stressed that peace cannot be achieved without Kyiv's involvement. Zelenskyy was in Berlin for virtual meetings Wednesday with Trump and European leaders to try to ensure Ukraine and its allies are heard before the summit. The Ukrainian president told the group Putin "is bluffing" about his military might and the effectiveness of sanctions, and "is trying to apply pressure ... on all sectors of the Ukrainian front" to try to show that Russia is "capable of occupying all of Ukraine." In reality, sanctions are "hitting Russia's war economy hard," Zelenskyy said. What's Alaska's role in Russian history? It will be the first visit by a Russian leader to Alaska, even though it was part of the czarist empire until 1867, the state news agency Tass said. Alaska was colonized by Russia starting from the 18th century until Czar Alexander II sold it to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million. When it was found to contain vast resources, it was seen by Russians as a naïve deal that generated remorse. After the USSR's collapse, Alaska was a subject of nostalgia and jokes for Russians. One popular song in the 1990s went: "Don't play the fool, America ... give back our dear Alaska land." Sam Greene of King's College London said on X the symbolism of Alaska as the site of a summit about Ukraine was "horrendous — as though designed to demonstrate that borders can change, land can be bought and sold." What's the agenda? Trump has appeared increasingly exasperated with Putin over Russia's refusal to halt the bombardment of Ukraine. Kyiv has agreed to a ceasefire, insisting on a truce as a first step toward peace. Moscow presented ceasefire conditions that are nonstarters for Zelenskyy, such as withdrawing troops from the four regions Russia illegally annexed in 2022, halting mobilization efforts, or freezing Western arms deliveries. For a broader peace, Putin demands Kyiv cede the annexed regions, even though Russia doesn't fully control them, and Crimea, renounce a bid to join NATO, limit the size of its armed forces and recognize Russian as an official language along with Ukrainian. Zelenskyy insists any peace deals include robust security guarantees to protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression. Putin has warned Ukraine it will face tougher conditions for peace as Russian troops forge into other regions to build what he described as a "buffer zone." Some observers suggested Russia could trade those recent gains for territory under Ukrainian control in the four annexed regions annexed by Moscow. Zelenskyy said Saturday that "Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier." But Trump said Monday: "There'll be some land swapping going on. I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody. To the good, for the good of Ukraine. Good stuff, not bad stuff. Also, some bad stuff for both." Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region it still controls as part of a ceasefire deal, a proposal the Ukrainian categorically rejected. Kyiv won't give up territory it controls, he added, saying that would be unconstitutional and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion. He said discussions led by the US on ending the war have not addressed key Ukrainian demands, including security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression and including Europe in negotiations. French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that Trump was "very clear" in a virtual meeting with European leaders and Zelenskyy that the US wants to achieve a ceasefire. Macron added that Trump had been clear that "territorial issues relating to Ukraine ... will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president." What are expectations? Trump said Wednesday there will be unspecified "very severe consequences" if Putin does not agree to stop the war after the summit. Putin sees a meeting with Trump as a chance to cement Russia's territorial gains, keep Ukraine out of NATO and prevent it from hosting any Western troops so Moscow can gradually pull the country back into its orbit. He believes time is on his side as Ukrainian forces are struggling to stem Russian advances along the front amid swarms of Moscow's missiles and drones. The meeting is a diplomatic coup for Putin, isolated since the invasion. The Kremlin sought to portray renewed US contacts as two superpowers looking to resolve various global problems, with Ukraine being just one. Ukraine and its European allies are concerned a summit without Kyiv could allow Putin to get Trump on his side and force Ukraine into concessions. "Any decisions that are without Ukraine are at the same time decisions against peace," Zelenskyy said. "They will not bring anything. These are dead decisions. They will never work." European officials echoed that. "As we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: All temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine," European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. "A sustainable peace also means that aggression cannot be rewarded." NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Sunday he believed Trump was "making sure that Putin is serious, and if he is not, then it will stop there." "If he is serious, then from Friday onwards, the process will continue. Ukraine getting involved, the Europeans being involved," Rutte added. Since last week, Putin spoke to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as the leaders of South Africa, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, the Kremlin said. That suggested Putin perhaps wanted to brief Russia's most important allies about a potential settlement, said pro-Kremlin analyst Sergei Markov.
