Zelensky is not on the list of participants in the meeting between Trump and Putin scheduled for next Friday, August 15, in Alaska. However, the White House has not ruled out the possibility that the Ukrainian president could attend some of the meetings, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN. However, a White House official stressed that any meetings with Zelensky would likely take place after the Trump-Putin meeting, CNN reports.

The meeting between the US and Russian leaders was held very quickly, so not all of its details are yet known. The exact location of the meeting has not been announced.

A White House official said Trump remains"open to a three-way meeting with both leaders," but noted that "the White House is planning a bilateral meeting, which President Putin has requested."

Since Trump announced plans to meet with Putin on social media on Friday, there has been intense diplomatic effort behind the scenes to ensure that US allies are not left out of these talks.

Trump did not say in his statement whether Zelensky would be included in his talks with Putin or when that might happen. But Ukrainian and European leaders have stressed that Kyiv must be included in any discussions on ending the war.

On Saturday, European leaders outlined their position in Great Britain during a meeting with US Vice President J.D. Vance and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and then issued a statement noting that"Ukraine has the right to determine its own destiny."

"Meaningful negotiations can only take place after a ceasefire or cessation of hostilities. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine," the joint statement said."We continue to adhere to the principle that international borders cannot be changed by force. The starting point for negotiations must be the current line of contact."

The statement also emphasizes that any diplomatic agreement to end the war must provide for "strong and reliable security guarantees that would allow Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Zelensky said on Sunday that he "appreciates and fully supports" the joint statement by European leaders.

A US official told CNN that"significant progress" was made at Saturday's forum, but it remains unclear whether European and Ukrainian concerns will be addressed next Friday.

After Saturday's meeting, Zelensky noted that he believed the United States had heard what the Europeans were saying.

"Our arguments have been heard. The risks will be taken into account," he said in his address.

Merz believes Zelensky will attend US-Russia summit

Germany believes that Zelensky will attend the meeting between the US and Russian presidents next Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday.

"We hope and believe that the Ukrainian government, President Zelensky, will participate in this meeting," Merz said in an interview with ARD television channel.

Merz told ARD that Berlin was working closely with Washington to ensure Zelensky's participation in the talks.

"We can in no way agree that territorial issues are discussed or even resolved between Russia and America without taking into account the opinions of the Europeans and Ukrainians. I think the American government shares the same opinion," he said.

Merz added that he hopes the talks will help achieve significant progress towards a peace agreement and even lead to a"breakthrough."

"We hope that a breakthrough will be achieved on Friday. First of all, (we hope) that a ceasefire will finally be declared and peace talks can take place in Ukraine," he said.

Three rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine this year have failed to produce any results. Zelensky is pushing for a trilateral summit and says a meeting with Putin is the only way to make progress towards peace.