Zelensky Meets US Envoy in Oslo as Ukraine Seeks Military Support

Efforts to coordinate Western support for Ukraine are taking center stage in Oslo, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting US special envoy Steve Witkoff and European representatives on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The discussions aim to improve strained relations with Washington and advance diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish representatives are participating in the talks, while US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to join remotely because of illness.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and officials from the United Kingdom, Poland, France, Germany, the European Union and NATO are also expected to participate. Støre said Zelensky had asked Norway and Finland to help organize the meeting at a critical point in the conflict. The Norwegian prime minister said the discussions were intended to move relations toward a more constructive direction and support a diplomatic settlement that would deliver a lasting and just peace.

Before the Oslo meeting, Zelensky held discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about intelligence sharing, Patriot missile interceptors and access to SpaceX's satellite internet services. Zelensky described their exchange as constructive and said they had agreed to speak again soon, although he did not confirm that Washington had committed to resolving the outstanding issues.

Ukraine has raised concerns about the reliability of US intelligence warnings and restrictions affecting satellite connectivity. Ukrainian forces use SpaceX's Starlink network and its military-oriented Starshield services for several operations, including drone attacks. Rubio rejected allegations that Washington was deliberately withholding intelligence from Kyiv. Speaking to reporters during a visit to India, he acknowledged that Patriot interceptors might not yet have reached Ukraine but said the United States had not intentionally denied assistance.

Rubio called the accusations "scandalous" and "outrageous" as questions mounted over whether gaps in intelligence sharing had contributed to Ukrainian casualties. Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, Zelensky's military technical adviser, told the BBC that the absence of reliable American warnings was costing lives. The talks take place amid increasingly public disagreements between Zelensky and Trump. The US president has accused the Ukrainian leader of failing to pursue an end to the war and suggested that another representative should negotiate on Kyiv's behalf.

US Vice President JD Vance described Ukraine's relationship with Washington as a partnership rather than a formal alliance. He said the countries had some shared interests but also disagreed on certain issues, including Ukraine's attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. European leaders have also expressed concern about Washington's approach to Moscow.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that recent US statements had sent mixed messages about the war and that he was working to persuade the American government to address the conflict jointly with its partners. Merz said the United States had not been paying for Ukraine's defense since the start of 2025, leaving Europe and other countries to shoulder the financial burden. He described the effort as substantial for European Union budgets but said support was continuing while the war remained unresolved.

Relations have also been affected by Washington's decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports. Trump has sought to reduce energy prices, which have risen amid the US-Israel war on Iran, while Zelensky has criticized the easing of restrictions as a reward for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The diplomatic discussions are unfolding as both Russia and Ukraine continue long-range aerial attacks. Ukraine's regional prosecutor's office said a Russian drone struck a highway connecting Kyiv with the Black Sea port of Odesa on Tuesday, killing three people and injuring four. Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, said Russian strikes hit three energy facilities in the southern Odesa region, leaving more than 32,000 families without electricity.

Separately, Tambov Oblast Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said a fire broke out at an oil pumping station after an overnight Ukrainian drone attack and that four drones had been intercepted. Meanwhile, the Kremlin expressed interest in further contact with Witkoff. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow hoped a meeting with the US envoy could be arranged in the near future and praised the American negotiators' mediation efforts, although it remained unclear whether Witkoff would travel to Russia after his visit to Oslo.