Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to meet US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on Tuesday, seeking to repair relations with Washington after a sharp deterioration in ties over the past two weeks.
The diplomatic strain has grown as US President Donald Trump has increasingly engaged with Moscow and repeatedly criticised Zelenskiy. Trump has also waived sanctions on Russia, saying the move is intended to reduce fuel prices in the United States.
Kyiv says Washington has recently failed to provide advance warnings of Russian missile launches and has restricted SpaceX satellite links used to guide Ukrainian drones.
On Monday, Trump said Russia had “been fine on Ukraine” and accused Zelenskiy of not helping efforts to resolve the conflict. He urged Kyiv to find “somebody else to negotiate”.
Zelenskiy said he had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about ballistic missile interceptors, early warnings of Russian missile attacks and the situation involving Starlink and Starshield, which he said needed to be restored.
“Of course, all of this comes against the backdrop of our diplomatic efforts to end this horrific war and the constant killing of people,” Zelenskiy said in a post on X.
Western European governments regard defending Ukraine against Russia’s invasion as essential to the continent’s security. They have continued to support Zelenskiy while seeking to prevent a deeper breakdown in relations between Kyiv and Washington.
The United States under Trump has largely halted direct weapons supplies to Ukraine, although it allows European countries to purchase weapons for Kyiv and continues to provide intelligence and technology that European nations cannot match.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said the aim of hosting Tuesday’s meetings was “to steer the diplomatic efforts onto a more constructive path”.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb also confirmed he would attend talks with Zelenskiy and Stoere to discuss “Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and the overall security situation in Europe”.
Norway said Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, would participate in the meetings virtually. Witkoff and Kushner have been leading the US negotiating efforts.
Zelenskiy, Stubb and Stoere are scheduled to hold a press conference later on Tuesday, according to the Norwegian government.
Ojo Triumph
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