US special envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo as tensions between Kyiv and the Trump administration escalate over military support and peace negotiations.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Zelensky requested the talks "at a critical time for Ukraine." Witkoff attended in person while Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner participated by video link. Zelensky brought Ukraine's intelligence chief Rustem Umerov and lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia, both of whom met with Witkoff and Kushner in Miami earlier this month.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected accusations that the US was withholding intelligence from Ukraine, calling such claims "scandalous." The accusation came after Zelensky's top military adviser Serhii Beskrestnov told the BBC that inconsistent US warnings about ballistic missile launches were costing Ukrainian lives. "Sometimes we receive this information before the attack, another time we do not," Beskrestnov said.
Rubio acknowledged that Patriot interceptor missiles may not yet have arrived in Ukraine but said nothing had been denied to Kyiv intentionally. He was speaking from India during a separate visit.
Relations between the US and Ukraine have deteriorated sharply. Trump recently suggested Ukraine needs a new president and said "somebody else" should negotiate on behalf of Ukraine. A bipartisan group of US senators called for an investigation into speed restrictions to Starlink internet service in Ukraine. Unconfirmed reports said approval for additional Patriot interceptors had not yet been granted.
Vice President JD Vance stated in a television interview that Ukraine is "certainly a partner in some ways, but we have some divergent interests." He said the US has no formal alliance with Ukraine and questioned whether it should join NATO. Vance added that he believes Ukraine should stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure.
Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed concern about mixed US messaging on the war. He noted the US has not funded Ukrainian defense since January 2025, leaving Europe to shoulder the burden. The Kremlin said it hopes to arrange a meeting between Witkoff and Russian officials in the near future.
Russian drone strikes continued Tuesday, killing at least 10 people across Ukraine. Officials said a cardiology institute operating room in Kyiv was hit and damaged.