Wednesday 07 May 2025 17:07 BST

Allowing Russia to play in the 2026 World Cup could be a “good incentive” for Moscow to end the war in Ukraine, Donald Trump has said.

Russia has been banned from international competitions by Fifa and Uefa since its 2022 invasion, and will not play at the upcoming World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Mr Trump was unaware that Russia was banned from the tournament. “I didn’t know that. Is that right?” he said at a meeting of Washington’s World Cup 2026 taskforce.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino, sat next to the US president, confirmed it was correct.

Mr Trump continued: “That’s possible. Hey, that could be a good incentive, right?” Mr Infantino is “the boss” when it comes to a decision over Russia’s participation, Mr Trump added, saying that he has “nothing to do” with calls to reinstate them.

It comes after Donald Trump’s envoy to Ukraine claimed Kyiv is prepared to accept a 30-kilometre demilitarised zone with Russia.

Keith Kellogg said the zone, which could see both Ukrainian and Russian forces both withdrawing 15 kilometres, would be controlled by peacekeepers from the ‘coalition of the willing’ – the group of countries ready to join peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine.

(c)THE INDEPENDENT 2025