President-elect Trump’s inauguration is scheduled for January 20th.
President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited to his upcoming inauguration. Trump, who won the recent election against Kamala Harris, will be sworn in as the 47th U.S. president on January 20th at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. This announcement came during his first press conference since the election.
When asked directly about Zelensky’s attendance, Trump stated, “No, I didn’t invite him,” but added, “If he’d like to come, I’d like to have him.”
Trump recently met with Zelensky in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the Ukraine crisis. Despite reported reluctance to meet Zelensky, Trump later expressed a desire for a swift end to hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv.
NBC reported that Trump’s team is actively working to facilitate a truce between Ukraine and Russia, potentially paving the way for peace talks. Trump has criticized President Biden’s handling of the conflict, claiming it wouldn’t have escalated under his leadership.
Reports indicate that Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to the inauguration, reportedly extending the invitation shortly after his election win in early November. Xi’s acceptance remains unconfirmed.
CBS, citing sources, expects China’s ambassador and his spouse to attend, in line with typical protocol.
Trump’s team has indicated plans to host additional world leaders at the Capitol on January 20th, alongside Xi. While ambassadors and diplomats are routinely invited, historical State Department records dating back to 1874 show no precedent of foreign leaders attending the transfer-of-power ceremony.
Media reports suggest invitations have been extended to Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele.
According to RBK, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated last week that Russia did not receive an invitation.