Follow-Up: Zelenskiy to Meet U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo to Repair Deteriorating U.S.-Ukraine Ties

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was due on Tuesday in Oslo to meet U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, trying to repair ties with Washington that have deteriorated sharply this month, Reuters reported on October 20. Norway and Finland are co-hosting the talks. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said the goal of hosting the meetings was 'to steer the diplomatic efforts onto a more constructive path,' while Finland's President Alexander Stubb said he would meet Zelenskiy and Stoere to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine and the overall security situation in Europe. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner was expected to attend virtually, and Zelenskiy, Stubb and Stoere were due to hold a press conference later on Tuesday, Norway said.

Relations between Kyiv and Washington have deteriorated over the past ten days. Trump has waived sanctions on Russia, saying the move would help lower U.S. fuel prices, and has repeatedly rebuked Zelenskiy. On Monday he said Russia had 'been fine on Ukraine,' that Zelenskiy was 'not helping matters much,' and that Kyiv should find 'somebody else to negotiate' an end to the war, a remark GSM reported on October 19. The United States has largely stopped providing weapons directly to Ukraine, but allows European countries to buy them on Kyiv's behalf and continues to provide intelligence and technology Europe cannot match.

Ahead of the Oslo meeting, Zelenskiy said on Sunday (October 18) that he had spoken with Witkoff and Kushner. In a post on X, he said they discussed the results of the two teams' meeting in Florida, that the teams maintain 'virtually nonstop communication' and are preparing the next steps in diplomacy, adding: 'Peace comes only through strength and cooperation built on trust.' Zelenskiy also said he had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about ballistic missile interceptors, early warning of Russian attacks and 'the situation with Starlink/Starshield, which needs to be restored.'

Kyiv has made three claims: that Washington has lately failed to provide early warning of Russian missile launches; that SpaceX's Starshield satellite links, the military-grade version of Starlink, have been throttled so that receivers no longer work on fast-moving objects such as Ukrainian drones; and that air defenses paid for by European allies have not been delivered. Zelenskiy also told U.S. senators that the Pentagon is delaying interceptor missiles already paid for by European countries, with the shipment awaiting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's signature, saying 'the missiles are ready, and they could already be in Ukraine.' Washington denies withholding intelligence from Kyiv or imposing curbs on Starshield. SpaceX chief Elon Musk has said Starshield is controlled by the U.S. government and any limits on its use are ultimately up to Trump.

As relations have deteriorated, Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian officials said a Russian drone struck near a petrol station on a highway heading south out of Kyiv, killing three people and setting cars ablaze, and Ukraine's emergency services released footage of firefighters battling a huge blaze at night. Ukraine says the Russian strikes have become deadlier because of the absence of U.S. technology needed to fend them off. Western European countries, which consider defending Ukraine an existential issue for the continent's security, have strongly backed Zelenskiy, seeking to head off a deeper rupture between Washington and Kyiv.

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：泽连斯基（左）10月14日在伦敦唐宁街与英国首相 Andy Burnham 握手，为近期官方资料图，非本次 Oslo 会面现场。英国首相府官方发布，经 Wikimedia Commons 传播，Open Government Licence v3.0。Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskiy (left) shaking hands with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Downing Street, London, on October 14, 2026 (recent official file photo, not the Oslo meeting). Released by the UK Prime Minister's Office via Wikimedia Commons, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Latest in World News

Japan: Memorial Service for Fallen Police Officers Held in Tokyo, PM Takaichi Delivers Eulogy2026-11-01Brazil: Foreign Minister Vieira and US Secretary Rubio Agree to Meet Again in Coming Weeks After Election Tension2026-11-01