Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Tuesday that the United States has resumed sharing intelligence with Kyiv regarding Russian missile strikes. The announcement came after a meeting in Oslo with US envoy Steve Witkoff, marking a shift in a relationship that has faced its most severe crisis since the full-scale invasion began nearly five years ago.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is once again receiving advance warnings of ballistic missile attacks. These warnings had been suspended by the White House just last week. The president emphasized the practical impact of this change, noting that early alerts allow civilians to seek shelter and save lives.
“Now it works. It’s great,” Zelenskyy said. He added that the intelligence sharing is vital for the safety of Ukrainian civilians, including children and adults, who can now hear when ballistic missiles are approaching. He expressed gratitude to the American side for restoring the flow of information.
Oslo Talks and Diplomatic Tensions
The discussions in Norway involved high-level participants from multiple nations. Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, joined the talks via video link. Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb were also present, alongside security officials from the European Union and the United Kingdom.
These diplomatic efforts occur against a backdrop of strained relations. Trump has recently accused Zelenskyy of failing to end the war and has suggested that Ukraine requires a new leader. The US president has also effectively positioned the United States as an ally of Russia in peace negotiations, a move that has dismayed European and British supporters of Kyiv.
Zelenskyy reported holding a positive phone call earlier with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. When asked if Ukraine was losing the war due to recent hostile US actions, the president replied that while they are not losing the conflict, they are losing people and time due to Russian attacks. He described the situation as a pity.
Starshield Restrictions and Weapon Demands
A significant point of contention during the talks involved Starshield, the military-grade version of Elon Musk’s satellite internet service. Zelenskyy said he raised the issue of restrictions imposed last week, which have severely limited Ukraine’s ability to launch mid-range drone strikes on Russian battlefield positions.
The Ukrainian president also outlined a potential trade-off to restore full support. He offered to halt Ukraine’s long-range attacks on Russian oil refineries, a key demand of the Trump administration. In exchange, Zelenskyy requested the delivery of Patriot missile interceptors. The Pentagon has currently blocked the delivery of these interceptors, even those paid for by other nations, leaving Ukraine more vulnerable to air attacks.
Rubio addressed the situation in India, insisting that no deliberate political directive exists to harm Ukraine. He cited global shortages of Patriot interceptors and the need to allocate them to other regions and US defense needs.
Zelenskyy also rejected a trilateral summit proposed by Vladimir Putin, which would involve Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. He stated that nothing regarding Ukraine can be decided without Ukraine present at the negotiating table. This stance aligns with comments from EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who questioned the honesty of US negotiators and noted that Europe has been the primary support preventing Ukraine from surrendering to Russian terms.
The crisis began ten days ago when Trump announced the lifting of US sanctions on Russian diesel to lower fuel prices ahead of midterm elections. He also proposed an energy ceasefire, which Kyiv implemented but Russia ignored. Despite this, Trump has continued to criticize Zelenskyy, while US officials have failed to provide clear explanations for the temporary cutoff of satellite communications and intelligence sharing.
Violence on the ground continued on Tuesday. At least nine people were killed in Ukraine, including passengers on the Kyiv to Odesa highway. A Russian drone struck two vehicles, killing three people and injuring four. One victim was the driver of a shuttle bus traveling to a military cemetery.
Source: The Guardian
