Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with a senior U.S. envoy in Oslo on Tuesday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing conflict with Russia, amid a period of heightened tension between Kyiv and Washington. The talks involved U.S. peace envoy Steve Witkoff, with participation from Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner joining remotely. The envoy is expected to travel to Moscow following the discussions to relay their outcome.
Zelensky proposed a trilateral summit involving himself, Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate peace directly. This followed a recent suggestion by Putin of a separate meeting between himself, Trump, and China’s Xi Jinping, which Zelensky firmly rejected, emphasizing that no agreement on Ukraine’s future would be acceptable without Kyiv’s participation.
The dialogue comes amid an ongoing diplomatic crisis triggered by decisions from the Trump administration, including the temporary suspension of critical intelligence sharing on Russian ballistic missile strikes, which had drawn sharp criticism from Kyiv. Zelensky expressed relief that intelligence sharing has resumed, describing the advance warnings of missile attacks as vital to saving civilian lives. The Ukrainian leader also highlighted ongoing difficulties related to restrictions on Starshield, Elon Musk’s military-grade satellite internet system, which has limited the effectiveness of Ukrainian drone operations.
Tensions between Kyiv and Washington have escalated amid Trump’s vocal criticism of Zelensky and Ukraine’s military actions. Trump has condemned Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, blaming them for rising U.S. fuel prices in the lead-up to U.S. congressional elections. Trump also indicated a willingness to meet Putin without Zelensky present, a stance that has been met with disapproval from Ukrainian officials and their Western allies. Zelensky described Trump’s remarks as undermining peace efforts and underscored Ukraine’s position that it must remain at the center of any negotiations concerning the conflict.
European voices, including European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, have questioned the impartiality of U.S. negotiators, suggesting that recent U.S. initiatives may be pushing Ukraine toward concessions favoring Russian demands. In contrast, U.S. officials have denied allegations of reducing support for Ukraine, though they have not fully addressed concerns over the temporary intelligence cutoff or internet restrictions.
The renewed diplomatic push coincides with ongoing violence on the ground. A Russian drone attack on the Kyiv-Odesa highway killed at least nine civilians, including passengers in vehicles hit during the strike. Civilians in Kyiv and elsewhere remain under frequent attack as the conflict continues.
Overall, the developments underscore a complex and fragile phase in efforts to negotiate an end to the war, with diplomatic efforts complicated by diverging viewpoints within the U.S., Ukraine, and their international partners, as well as by the continuing toll of conflict on Ukrainian territory.