The United States is working to “schedule” a meeting between Donald Trump and his Russian counterparts Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said yesterday, Sunday, as Ukraine’s European allies lobby for Zelensky to be present at the U.S.-Russian summit in Alaska.

“One of the most significant obstacles is that Vladimir Putin said he would never sit at the same table with Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader, and President (Trump) has managed to change that,” J.D. Vance argued during an interview with the conservative Fox News television network, broadcast yesterday, Sunday.

The U.S. government, he added, is now working to “schedule (the time when) these three leaders can sit down and talk about ending this conflict” in Ukraine.

Leaders of the European Union and Old Continent powers insisted yesterday that Kiev join the U.S.-Russian negotiations, days before a summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin scheduled for Friday in Alaska.

Volodymyr Zelensky also called on his European allies, notably France, Germany and the United Kingdom, which have also been sidelined from the talks, to define a common approach. An “extraordinary meeting” by video conference is also scheduled for today between the foreign ministers of EU countries and their Ukrainian counterparts.

US ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, for his part, also hinted yesterday, Sunday, that the Ukrainian president could attend the summit.

“Yes, I believe without any doubt that it is possible,” the US diplomat replied when asked by the CNN television network if the Ukrainian head of state might be present in Alaska.

“There can certainly be no agreement unless all sides sign it. And obviously the absolute priority is to get to the end of the war,” Whitaker said.

Ultimately, however, Donald Trump will be the one to decide, the U.S. ambassador to NATO warned.

“If he thinks inviting Zelensky is the best scenario, then he will do so,” he assured.

But “no decision has been made,” Whitaker, a former federal prosecutor, stressed.