Zelensky Reports Restored US Intelligence Sharing After Oslo Talks

Ukraine's efforts to secure stronger American support and negotiate an end to Russia's invasion gained renewed attention after President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on Tuesday. Zelensky said American intelligence assistance for warning civilians about Russian missile attacks was functioning again, while European leaders reported progress on peace proposals and called for continued patience.

The talks involved Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, who participated by video link. Zelensky also brought intelligence chief Rustem Umerov and lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia, both of whom had met Witkoff and Kushner in Miami earlier in October.

The meeting followed disagreements over Washington's intelligence support for Kyiv. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had rejected Ukrainian allegations that Washington was withholding critical intelligence, describing the accusation as "scandalous."

Zelensky expressed appreciation for the renewed assistance, emphasizing its importance for protecting civilians from ballistic missile strikes.

"Speaking about early warning, which is very important for our people, our children, adults, civilians because we can hear when ballistic[s] is coming - so we are thankful to American side, now it works, it's great," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president also said his government remained prepared to negotiate an end to the conflict.

"Of course, we are not losing this war, but we are losing people because Russia attacks," he said.

Zelensky said the Oslo discussions also covered security guarantees for Ukraine, proposals for an energy ceasefire and access to SpaceX's Starlink satellite service. Ukrainian military officials had reported speed restrictions affecting the platform, which Kyiv uses for drone operations against Russia.

He expressed hope for progress on those issues and described Ukraine's position on future negotiations.

"Thankful that intelligence works now," Zelensky said.

Stubb characterized the discussions as constructive but offered few details about the proposals. He said patience would remain necessary as diplomatic efforts continued.

"Genuine progress," Stubb said of the peace proposals discussed during the meeting.

Witkoff was scheduled to travel to St Petersburg on Wednesday for discussions with Russian officials. Zelensky and European partners said Moscow would need to respond to the proposals emerging from the Oslo meeting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had not publicly commented on the latest developments. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier that the Kremlin would hear Witkoff's proposals but ruled out "any political concessions."

Trump continued to press Kyiv to reach an agreement, telling reporters at the White House that Ukraine should "make a deal." He said Moscow wanted to "get it done" and argued it was "time for Ukraine to end this war."

Relations between Washington and Kyiv have deteriorated in recent weeks. Trump has questioned Zelensky's leadership and said he wanted "for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine."

The diplomatic discussions took place as Russian drone attacks continued across Ukraine on Tuesday. Ukrainian officials reported at least 10 deaths: four in Kyiv and the surrounding region, four in the eastern Donetsk region and two in the central city of Dnipro.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 and currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, according to the source report.

Concerns over American military assistance also persisted. Unconfirmed reports on Tuesday indicated that the transfer of additional US-made Patriot interceptor missiles had not been approved. Rubio, speaking during a visit to India, acknowledged that the missiles might not yet have arrived but said Washington had not deliberately denied assistance to Kyiv.

Before the Oslo meeting, Zelensky said he had held a "constructive discussion" with Rubio about early-warning systems, missile interceptors and Starlink access.

The intelligence dispute has unfolded alongside broader disagreements over US policy toward Russia and Ukraine. Trump has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for rising fuel prices ahead of next month's US midterm elections, following the start of the US-led war on Iran.

European leaders have voiced concern about Washington's messages concerning the conflict. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the situation as presenting "mixed pictures and messages" and said he was seeking a coordinated approach with the American government.

Merz emphasized the scale of Europe's financial commitment to supporting efforts to end the war.

"It's really a big effort for our budgets, it's really a big thing for the European Union, but we are doing that and we are trying to keep on doing that until this terrible war ends," Merz told Bloomberg TV.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also argued that European governments must participate in discussions about ending the conflict, stressing that Europe "needs to be at the table."

US Vice President JD Vance offered a more qualified description of the relationship between Washington and Kyiv in an interview on Monday. He said Ukraine was "certainly a partner in some ways, but we have some divergent interests from time to time, like for example... I think they should stop bombing Russian energy".

Vance said the United States did not have a formal alliance with Ukraine and opposed Ukrainian membership in NATO.

"We don't have a formal alliance as far as I know with Ukraine. They're not in Nato, I don't think they should be in Nato... we're gonna work together on some things, but also we're going to be opposite on some things too," Vance said.