Ukraine, US to hold Norway peace talks amid rising Zelensky, Trump tension

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is travelling to Norway for new peace talks as US pressure mounts for concessions from Kyiv to reach a deal with Russia.

US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in Oslo to take part in the talks on Tuesday with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, according to a government statement in Norway.

Another US envoy, Jared Kushner, will take part online in the talks, the statement said.

The meeting is being held amid escalating tensions between Zelensky and Donald Trump.

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Shocking video shows Russian drone stalking Ukrainian vegetable vendor

The American president reiterated criticism of the Ukrainian leader on Monday after officials in Kyiv said they suspect the US is intermittently restricting intelligence sharing despite denials from Washington, allowing Russian missiles to strike Ukraine without warning.

Zelensky “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” and should have settled the war a long time ago, Trump told reporters.

“We’ve given a lot to Ukraine. They’ve given us nothing.”

Relations between Trump and Zelensky have soured since the US announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month for diesel supplies to American and global markets as the White House strives to cut surging fuel prices ahead of November 3 midterm elections.

Trump followed that up by deferring sweeping new sanctions targeting Russian energy sales.

That sparked criticism from lawmakers, including in his own Republican party, that he was helping Russia to continue financing the war that Putin started in February 2022.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Putin is seeking not only to defeat Ukraine but to also undermine democracy in Europe.

The key condition in the war was Ukraine’s territorial integrity “and that is not to dispute”, he told Bloomberg.

“I’m trying to convince Donald Trump each time I’m meeting him that this should be in his own interest,” Merz said.

“A stable Europe, European continent, European Union as a partner in the world is something which is worthwhile for the Americans as well.”

The Ukrainian leader spoke by video call with Witkoff and Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law, on Sunday to discuss the war and possibilities for new talks.

Zelensky told Bloomberg on Sunday that the US side also planned to meet with Putin.

On Monday he told US senators that “the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles” already paid for by European countries, and that the shipment was waiting for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s signature.

He said several European nations were ready to transfer Patriot interceptor missiles from their own stockpiles but were still awaiting US approval.

A Russian strike involving 16 ballistic missiles overnight on Sunday and Monday was the third time in the same week in which Ukraine was left without the usual advance warning it receives from US intelligence about incoming attacks.

Ukraine has also accused the US of restricting access to SpaceX’s Starshield satellite technology.

Zelensky said on Tuesday he held “constructive” talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about ballistic missile interceptors, early warning on attacks and the situation with Starshield “which needs to be restored”.

They agreed to be in contact soon for an update, he said on social media.

US officials have rebuffed accusations of any slowdown in intelligence to Ukraine.

Trump last week said he did not order limitations on Ukraine’s access to Starshield.

Trump said on Monday that “somebody else” instead of Zelensky should negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.

He told reporters that “Russia frankly has been fine on Ukraine – they haven’t been doing much”.