Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States has resumed sharing intelligence to warn of Russian missile attacks after talks in Oslo with President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said the parties had made “real progress” on a peace proposal, but gave no details and cautioned that negotiations would take time.
After the meeting, Zelensky and his European partners left the next move to Moscow. Witkoff plans to travel to St. Petersburg on Wednesday to present Russia with the proposals discussed in Oslo. He did not attend the joint news conference after the talks. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and another key envoy, joined the meeting by video.
Zelensky says missile-warning intelligence is flowing again
Zelensky thanked Washington for restoring intelligence sharing and said the mechanism was “now working.” He stressed the value of early warnings for civilians, children and urban air defences, saying Ukraine needs advance notice when ballistic missiles are incoming.
He also said he hoped for a positive outcome on access to Starlink, the satellite network operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Ukraine’s military said in recent days that Starlink service available to Ukrainian users had faced speed restrictions. The network supports battlefield communications and drone operations. Last week, a bipartisan group of US senators called for an urgent investigation into the restrictions.
Reports about whether Washington would approve the transfer of additional Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine have also drawn attention. Patriot systems are considered one of Ukraine’s main means of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that the interceptors may not yet have reached Ukraine, while saying Washington was not deliberately withholding support from Kyiv.
Oslo talks covered security guarantees and an energy ceasefire
Zelensky said the Oslo meeting addressed “strong” security guarantees for Ukraine and a proposal for a ceasefire covering energy infrastructure. He reiterated that Ukraine was ready to end the war through negotiations, but said continued Russian attacks were causing Ukrainian casualties.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also took part. He said Europe must be involved in discussions on how to end the war. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had earlier described the statements and signals around the conflict as “complex and inconsistent,” and said he was working to persuade the US administration to address the issue together with Europe.
Trump again urged Kyiv to reach an agreement. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he said Russia wanted to get the matter resolved and that it was time for Ukraine to end the war. In recent weeks, Trump has said Ukraine needs a different president and that someone else should represent the country in negotiations.
US-Ukraine differences over energy policy remain
Zelensky travelled to Oslo with Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Rustem Umerov, and lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia. Earlier this month, the two had met Witkoff and Kushner in Miami, but the meeting ended early after Ukraine learned that Trump had announced Russia would supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the United States and other markets.
The United States subsequently ended sanctions measures on Russian diesel exports. Zelensky called the decision a “birthday gift” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has also linked Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries to rising fuel prices in the United States. US fuel prices have climbed since the US-led war against Iran began, and energy supplies and sanctions policy have become more prominent as the US midterm elections approach.
Putin has not publicly responded to the Oslo talks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier that the Kremlin would hear what Witkoff had to say, but ruled out making “any political concessions.”
Russian attacks continue as talks proceed
Russian drone attacks continued on Tuesday as diplomatic contacts were under way. Ukrainian officials said at least 10 people had been killed: four in Kyiv and the surrounding area, four in the eastern Donetsk region and two in the central city of Dnipro.
Russia has controlled about 20% of Ukraine’s territory since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022. Whether the Oslo discussions lead to a concrete ceasefire arrangement will depend on Moscow’s response and on whether the United States, Ukraine and Europe can narrow differences over security guarantees, military support and protection for energy infrastructure.