US envoy Steve Witkoff is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday after what a US official described as “constructive” talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Norway. The discussions in Oslo focused on possible ways to end the war, including security guarantees for Ukraine, post-war economic recovery and wider European security arrangements. The meeting also involved the leaders of Norway and Finland, alongside European and NATO representatives. A US official, speaking anonymously, said Ukraine had presented new ideas and proposals. Participants had made “meaningful progress” towards a coordinated approach to engaging Russia, the official added. Witkoff’s objective would be to establish a path towards direct trilateral talks involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia, as well as broader negotiations with other countries, the official said. Zelenskiy travelled to Oslo amid strained relations with Washington, as Trump has pursued engagement with Moscow. Kyiv has complained that the United States has withheld crucial military support and intelligence. After the meeting, Zelenskiy said Ukraine was once again receiving early warnings of Russian missile attacks following a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “Now it works, it’s great,” he said, referring to the warning system. Zelenskiy added that he and Rubio had discussed supplies of Patriot missile interceptors and issues involving the Starlink satellite communications system. Marco Rubio US says ties with Pakistan remain important to Washington Ukraine had previously reported problems using Starlink on fast-moving platforms, including drones. Zelenskiy also said the discussions covered security guarantees modelled on Article 5 of the NATO treaty, under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. “I am thankful to the American side that they underlined again that it will be strong,” he said. He reiterated Ukraine’s desire for a trilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the United States to discuss key questions surrounding a possible end to the war. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere described the Oslo meeting as good and constructive. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he believed the peace process was “back on track”. Trump, however, has pressed Ukraine to reach an agreement with Russia. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he said Moscow wanted to end the war and Kyiv needed to agree to a settlement. “Ukraine has to want to settle this war,” he said. Trump also argued that Russia held an advantage on the battlefield, describing it as a “big machine” that continued to advance and capture territory. Under Trump, Washington has largely stopped supplying weapons directly to Ukraine. European countries can instead purchase US-made weapons for Kyiv through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme. The United States has also continued providing intelligence and technology support. A source familiar with the matter said most weapons deliveries under PURL were continuing. However, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had not approved Ukraine’s latest requests for Patriot interceptors, the source said. Rubio acknowledged on Tuesday that a shipment of interceptors purchased by European countries might not have been delivered. He denied that Washington had changed its policy to deliberately undermine Ukraine. “There has not been some deliberate political directive to go out and harm Ukraine,” Rubio said during a visit to India. Hegseth also said US policy towards Ukraine had not changed, while stressing the need to maintain American military stockpiles. “Certainly, with things like interceptors, we want to make sure our guys have the most possible as well,” he said. The availability of Starlink has also become a point of contention. Hegseth denied that Washington had withdrawn Ukraine’s access to the service, suggesting that the issue involved compliance with its corporate terms of service. Starlink is owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, while Starshield is its military-grade communications system. Musk has said the US government controls Starshield and that decisions about restrictions ultimately rest with Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US officials and people familiar with the matter, that Musk ordered the service to be slowed after consulting Trump and other administration officials. Reuters had earlier reported that the order to limit the service came from the White House. As diplomatic efforts continue, Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure have intensified. Overnight strikes hit electricity systems in western Ukraine, causing power outages across areas that had previously been largely spared. Russian drones also struck an energy facility in Kyiv, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, while authorities reported power cuts in four districts. The western Lviv region was struck again during the day. Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had hit three cargo vessels in the Ukrainian port of Reni and two other cargo vessels travelling towards Odesa. It also reported strikes on two logistics hubs. Energy facilities in seven Ukrainian regions were attacked overnight, according to reports from Ukrainian authorities. Ukraine had refrained for several days from striking Russian oil refineries last week following Trump’s request for both sides to avoid attacks on energy infrastructure. Kyiv resumed strikes after Russia continued its attacks, according to the report. Both countries have also targeted data centres. The deterioration in US-Ukraine relations has coincided with Trump’s decisions to ease certain restrictions on Russian energy supplies. He recently lifted sanctions on Russian diesel under an arrangement with Putin and issued a broader waiver of tougher sanctions that had been due to take effect. Trump said the diesel arrangement would help lower fuel prices ahead of US midterm elections scheduled for November 3. Despite the renewed diplomatic activity, the timing and terms of any peace agreement remain uncertain, with Ukraine seeking firm security guarantees while Russia continues its military campaign. Post navigation Beijing Ageing One in three residents expected to be 60 or older by 2035
