Zelenskyy Meets Witkoff in Oslo to Ease Tensions with Washington

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Oslo to meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and gather with Nordic leaders. This visit aims to mend tensions with Washington following US President Donald Trump's overtures toward Moscow and his remarks that Russia is in a "good position" regarding Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is flying to Oslo on Tuesday to meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in an attempt to repair relations with Washington that have sharply deteriorated over the past two weeks. US President Donald Trump has eased sanctions on Russia in an effort to drive down fuel prices and has repeatedly rebuked Zelenskyy. Meanwhile, Kyiv officials state that Washington has recently failed to provide early-warning notifications regarding Russian missile launches and has restricted SpaceX satellite connections guiding Ukrainian drones.

On Monday, Trump stated that Russia is openly in a "good position" concerning Ukraine, remarking that Zelenskyy "has not helped matters very much" and calling on Kyiv to find someone else for negotiations. In response, Zelenskyy announced that he discussed various issues with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, including ballistic missile interceptors, early warning against Russian missile strikes, and the Starlink/Starshield situation involving the restoration of the SpaceX satellite system.

Western European nations consider defending Ukraine to be an existential matter for the continent's security and are offering strong support to Zelenskyy to prevent a deeper rupture between Washington and Kyiv. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere stated that the purpose of hosting Tuesday's meetings is to steer diplomatic efforts onto a more constructive path. Finnish President Alexander Stubb announced he would also attend the meetings to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine and the broader security situation in Europe. Norway announced that Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, would participate in the meetings online and is leading the negotiation efforts alongside Witkoff.