The Albany Gazette - Zelensky, US envoys to hold Oslo talks as Ukraine claims US missile holdup

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Oslo would host talks between Zelensky and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner -- the latter taking part remotely -- as well as Finnish President Alexander Stubb, in a bid to put "diplomatic efforts on a more constructive path".

Relations between Kyiv and Washington have soured over military aid and intelligence sharing, with Zelensky saying on Monday that Ukraine received no early warning of powerful Russian missile strikes that targeted energy facilities in the capital region.

US-led diplomatic efforts to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II have stalled in recent months, as Washington has shifted focus towards the war with Iran.

"Ukraine has requested that US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner join the meetings. I am pleased that they are able to participate," Norway's Store said in a statement.

"Diplomatic efforts have previously taken place in several countries, and Norway and Finland are pleased to be able to continue this work," he said.

Ahead of the meeting, Zelensky on Tuesday said he held "substantive" and "constructive" talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he insisted that the US military satellite system Ukraine uses, Starshield, "needs to be restored" and that ballistic missile interceptors "are needed to protect lives".

Zelensky told US senators on Monday that "the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles" already paid for by European countries, and that the shipment was waiting for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's signature.

He said several European countries were ready to transfer Patriot interceptor missiles from their own stockpiles but were still awaiting US approval.

"We want to continue to have open, honest and pragmatic relations" with the US, Zelensky told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Tuesday.

The United States has denied making any changes to intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Trump has also denied ordering a reduction in speeds on the US government-owned and -controlled Starshield network after Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX developed it, said the order could only have come from the White House.

- Strained relations -

A public rift erupted between Trump and Zelensky when the US leader partially lifted sanctions on Russia to strike a diesel-supply deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump also slammed Zelensky as a warmonger for Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.

"Zelensky doesn't know what he's talking about," Trump said on Monday in another attack on his Ukrainian counterpart.

"To be honest, I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine."

Trump said he was ready to meet Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China next month to discuss denuclearisation, adding that talks could also cover the Ukraine war -- fuelling fears in Kyiv that it was being sidelined.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed earlier that "the topic of such a hypothetical has indeed been mentioned" when asked about a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday that Trump, Putin and Xi could meet.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said that such a meeting would "only encourage Putin to continue this war".

News outlet Axios reported that Witkoff would travel from Oslo to Russia to meet Putin.

The White House did not immediately respond to an AFP request for confirmation.

- Russian strikes -

Ukrainian authorities said Tuesday that Russian strikes killed four people around the country, as Moscow targets energy and transport infrastructure with winter approaching.

The attacks came after Zelensky said that Kyiv would resume hitting Russian refineries in the face of unrelenting strikes.

Rubio, on a visit to Uzbekistan on Monday, denied that intelligence sharing had been withdrawn with Ukraine and backed Trump's call for Zelensky to focus on ending the conflict.

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(N.Miller--TAG)