Rubio speaks to Zelenskyy, denies U.S. is deliberately hindering Ukraine's defences

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that he had an extensive conversation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the wake of disputes over intelligence gathering, denying that there has been a "deliberate political directive to harm Ukraine."

Rubio's comments came as Russia unleashed another missile and drone blitz of civilian areas in Ukraine, killing at least seven people, officials said Tuesday.

In fresh attacks, three people were killed and six were wounded in the Obukhiv district, where warehouses were damaged, police said. In the Bucha district, one woman was killed and 21 people were wounded, eight of them children, while hundreds of buildings were damaged, according to police.

Three people were killed and four injured when two vehicles caught fire in a Russian attack on the Kyiv-Odesa highway, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said.

'Scandalous' allegations

With further U.S. support for Ukraine in doubt as relations between Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump sour again, the Ukrainian leader confirmed he had a "substantive conversation" with Rubio.

"I am grateful for his readiness to help and his clear position," Zelenskyy said on social media.

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 defence 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.

Emergency service workers inspect a bus damaged during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, on the outskirts of Kyiv on Tuesday. (Sergiy Karazy/Reuters)

Zelenskyy also said that he sought Rubio's help to ensure that the U.S. continues to share vital intelligence with Ukraine after Kyiv had received none or belated warnings about Russian missile attacks in recent days.

Also, Zelenskyy said that speed restrictions were still in place on Kyiv's use of the military-grade version of U.S. company SpaceX's satellite internet service, hampering battlefield operations.

WATCH | Freeland swipes at Trump:

Trump is siding with ‘bloody dictator’ Putin: Chrystia Freeland

October 18|

Duration

1:18

Rubio, in India on Tuesday, did not explain the gaps that Ukraine has lamented as it fights off a pre-winter barrage from Russia in the past two weeks, but said nothing had changed in terms of the will to put an end to the war.

"I saw someone associated with the Ukrainian government say that people of Ukraine are dying because the U.S. is denying them information," said Rubio, who also serves as U.S. national security adviser. "That's scandalous, that's outrageous, that's just simply not true."

WATCH | A city under siege:

24 hours in Kyiv: Living through Russian drone strikes

September 25|

Duration

9:33

Kallas questions U.S. efforts

Trump has had an often-contentious relationship with Ukraine's president, dating back to 2019 when he was impeached by the Democrat-led U.S. House of Representatives for pressuring Zelenskyy for a domestic political favour to damage rival Joe Biden in exchange for military aid for Ukraine. Last year, Trump and Vice-President JD Vance publicly admonished Zelenskyy at the White House over what they viewed as a perceived lack of gratitude for U.S. support of Ukraine.

Trump in the past two weeks has waived sanctions on Russia after announcing a diesel transaction with Moscow, moves which Zelenskyy has slammed as helping President Vladimir Putin push on with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which will hit the five-year mark in February.

The recent Trump decisions have baffled experts and infuriated Democrats and some Republicans ahead of pivotal midterm elections in two weeks, in addition to alarming European allies of Ukraine.

"We've given a lot to Ukraine. They've given nothing to us. Remember that," Trump told reporters in Washington on Monday, even as much of what Ukraine has received in military aid in previous years from U.S. benefited American companies.

Trump also said, puzzlingly, that "Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine."

WATCH | Trump, Zelenskyy trade barbs:

Zelenskyy blasts U.S.-Russia diesel deal after Trump calls Ukraine strikes on refineries 'a disgrace'

October 16|

Duration

3:28

Rubio, with respect to Zelenskyy's plea for more missile interceptor systems, said the U.S. has to juggle requests from allies for the "most in-demand product on the defence field" with its own needs for its bases around the world.

"I also talked to Saudi Arabia today, they'd like interceptors, Israel would like interceptors, we would like interceptors.

Zelenskyy scrambled to ensure more European help during a visit to Norway on Tuesday, as he was due to meet Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Oslo.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who along with Jared Kushner has tried without success to steer Russia and Ukraine toward a settlement and end the war, was also expected in Oslo, the Norwegian government said. Kushner will attend the meeting by video, it said.

• Starlink restrictions would hamper Ukraine's war effort

• Zelenskyy says Ukraine given no early warning from allies as Russia strikes energy targets

European countries and European Union institutions have allocated 237 billion euros ($373 billion Cdn) to supporting Ukraine, compared with 115 billion euros ($181 billion Cdn) from the U.S., according to Germany's Kiel Institute, which tracks assistance to Kyiv.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Tuesday also questioned whether U.S. negotiators have been honest brokers in peace efforts. Ukrainian officials say the Trump administration has encouraged Kyiv to surrender land to Russia in return for peace.

"Although American negotiators have been trying to push Ukraine into surrender for … one and a half years now, why Ukraine hasn't surrendered on Putin's terms is because Europe has been supporting Ukraine," Kallas said.

"Ukraine wants peace more than anybody because they have been under this bombardment for already four years now," she told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France. "The only one who doesn't want peace is Russia."

• Senators urge Trump to drop diesel deal with Russia

• St. Petersburg oil facilities ablaze as Ukraine launches more than 1,000 drones at Russia

The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that its forces carried out drone strikes on logistics centres, port infrastructure, and three cargo ships in the port of Reni in the Odesa region. It said another bulk carrier was hit at sea on its way to Odesa.

Meanwhile, air defences intercepted 136 Ukrainian drones over multiple Russian regions overnight, the Defence Ministry said.

LISTEN | Diesel and the Ukraine war:

The Current19:20Is President Trump’s diesel deal reshaping the Ukraine war?