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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared after talks in Oslo that American intelligence sharing for early warnings against Russian ballistic missiles was once again operational, allowing time for civilians to reach safety. The Ukrainian leader held the meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who was joined by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre while Jared Kushner participated remotely. According to the Finnish president, the session produced genuine progress on peace proposals although patience would be required for tangible results.
Zelensky voiced gratitude to the American side for restoring the capability that he said had been interrupted for a period. Reuters reported that the discussions addressed access to the Starlink satellite system used by Ukrainian forces for communications and drone strikes as well as potential Patriot missile supplies. Norwegian officials described the gathering as an effort to place US-Ukrainian diplomatic contacts on a more constructive footing after recent friction.
Witkoff is expected to fly to St. Petersburg the next day to share the Oslo ideas with Russian leadership, Støre told reporters after the event. The meeting followed a week in which Kyiv accused Washington of withholding intelligence ahead of strikes that damaged energy facilities around the capital. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed those accusations as scandalous during a visit to India, according to AFP.
Data from Ukrainian authorities indicated that Russian attacks on Monday killed at least six people and deprived more than 500,000 households of electricity across multiple regions. A Kyiv Independent compilation showed that Russian forces had launched at least 1,858 missiles of various types in the first eight months of 2026, with ballistic variants accounting for 43 percent of the total. Zelensky said he anticipated results within 48 hours on several agenda items discussed with Rubio in a separate call earlier Tuesday.
Relations between Kyiv and Washington had soured after Trump commented that Russia had been fine on Ukraine and suggested Zelensky should step aside for negotiations. The US has largely halted direct weapons transfers to Ukraine under the current administration while allowing European allies to purchase and supply American-made arms, Reuters noted in its coverage. Zelensky emphasised during the Oslo press appearance that Ukraine must participate in any decisions concerning its future.
Støre confirmed that Ukraine had requested the involvement of the American envoys to address the critical phase of the conflict and pursue a diplomatic end to the fighting. Representatives from Britain, Germany, France and Poland attended portions of the wider talks, according to Norwegian government statements. Zelensky added that he viewed the conversation with Rubio as substantive and focused on concrete next steps.
