U.S. envoy Steve Witcoff, who along with Jared Kushner has tried without success to steer Russia and Ukraine toward a settlement and end their war, was also in Oslo. Kushner, who is U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, was due to attend the meeting with Zelenskyy by videoconference.
With further U.S. support for Ukraine in doubt as relations between Zelenskyy and Trump sour again, the Ukrainian leader said that he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on a trip to Asia.
That conversation came after Zelenskyy told a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Monday that he believes “some political decision has been made to slow down ... support for us.”
Ukraine has nearly run out of American-made Patriot air defense interceptors that it needs to stop Russia’s ballistic missiles, according to Zelenskyy, who has pleaded for Washington to send more. But he said that the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles that other countries have purchased for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also said that he sought Rubio’s help to ensure that the United States continues to share vital intelligence with Ukraine after Kyiv had received no or belated warnings about Russian missile attacks in recent days..
Trump also has waived sanctions on Russia, a move which Zelenskyy slammed as helping Putin push on with Moscow’s full-scale invasion, which will hit the five-year mark in February.
The U.S. secretary of state insisted Tuesday that the Trump administration is not restricting military aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia.
“Nothing has changed,” Rubio told reporters. “When things are available for sale, it’s sold for the Europeans who, in turn, transfer to them.”
Rubio also said Trump has not ordered changes in how the U.S. shares intelligence.
The Washington Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has withheld approval for some of the weapons transfers.
