Vice President JD Vance said Sunday the White House is seeking to arrange a meeting between President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, as Trump prepares to meet with Putin later this week.
The effort to coordinate a potential three-way meeting follows a round of talks Saturday at Chevening House in England, where Vance met with Ukrainian, British, and European representatives. According to a U.S. official, those talks made “significant progress” toward ending the conflict. Zelensky described the meeting as “constructive” and affirmed Ukraine supported all formats for a ceasefire proposed by Trump earlier this year.
Trump is scheduled to meet with Putin in Alaska on Friday without Ukrainian officials present, barring any last-minute invitation. The president has previously suggested “land swaps” could be part of a settlement, an idea Kyiv has rejected without security guarantees or arms commitments.
Vice President JD Vance speaks at the Metallus plant, Monday, July 28, 2025, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Lauren Leigh Bacho)
On ABC, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called Friday’s meeting “a pivotal test” of Putin’s seriousness about ending the war. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told broadcaster ARD he would speak with Trump on Sunday and added it was “unacceptable” for talks on the conflict’s resolution to occur “over the heads of the Europeans, over the heads of the Ukrainians.”
Speaking on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, Vance explained the administration was focused on “scheduling and things like that around when these three leaders could sit down and discuss an end to this conflict.” He added that he did not believe it would be a good idea for Putin and Zelensky to meet before Trump’s planned meeting with Putin this Friday in Alaska.
“One of the most important logjams is that Vladimir Putin said that he would never sit down with Zelensky, the head of Ukraine, and the president has now got that to change,” Vance commented.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker pointed out to CNN that it was still possible for Zelensky to attend the Alaska meeting, depending on Trump’s decision. “There’s time to make that decision,” Whitaker remarked. “No decision’s been made.”
WATCH — Exclusive: Witkoff Details Path to Peace in Ukraine:
Zelensky expressed on Sunday that “Russia is doing everything to prolong hostilities, refuses to stop the killings despite announced deadlines, and is trying to bargain for better positions on the ground for future strikes. Such destructive behavior by Russia must be stopped.” He added that Ukraine was “ready to work as productively as possible with all partners for the sake of real peace” and that matters concerning Ukraine must include Ukraine’s participation.
Vance also reiterated his opposition to continued U.S. funding for Ukraine’s defense, saying the administration was “done” providing direct financial support, though it would allow Ukraine to purchase weapons from American manufacturers.
Vice President JD Vance gives remarks at a Sports Council announcement, Thursday, July 31, 2025, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. (White House/Julian Casciano)
“America, we’re done with the funding of the Ukraine war business,” Vance asserted. “We want to bring about a peaceful settlement to this thing. We want to stop the killing. But Americans, I think, are sick of continuing to send their money, their tax dollars, to this particular conflict.”
Under a deal reached in July between the Trump administration and NATO, allies agreed to purchase U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, missiles, and ammunition for Ukraine.
Friday’s Alaska summit will be the first meeting between a sitting U.S. and Russian president since the 2019 G20 summit in Japan.
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