US envoy Witkoff meets Zelenskyy in Norway for peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with American envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo, Norway, to discuss peace talks with Russia, following President Donald Trump's call for a different negotiator to handle peace efforts on Kyiv's behalf. Tensions have heightened due to Trump's recent diesel deal with Russia, which Ukraine accuses of betraying them and rewarding President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy claims he has spoken with US negotiators Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have already begun talks with Russia on Saturday.

The peace talks come amid reports of delays in American weapons deliveries and disruptions to military satellite support in Ukraine, a claim Washington denied as a deliberate withdrawal of assistance. Zelenskyy and Witkoff met in Oslo on Tuesday as European efforts aimed to steer diplomacy towards a more constructive path. Amid heated rhetoric from both sides, Zelenskyy accused Trump of being on the wrong side of history over the diesel deal with Russia, stating that Ukraine could have ended the war long ago if he had listened to Washington.

Ukraine has expressed concern over intelligence sharing from the United States after Kyiv reported receiving no advance warning before recent Russian missile attacks, while also facing restrictions on SpaceX satellite service used to detect and intercept Russian attacks. US special representatives Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, where they met with Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev.

Washington denies hindering intelligence sharing or deliberately restricting satellite support, asserting that Elon Musk's Starshield access to Starlink service is controlled by the US government. Zelenskyy criticized the US diesel deal, urging for an energy ceasefire in Ukraine. He emphasized the need for missile support for the Patriot systems, while Washington denied stopping intelligence sharing or deliberately restricting satellite support.

Elon Musk stated that Starshield access is controlled by the US government. Zelenskyy faced accusations of Trump scapegoating him ahead of the November midterm election, drawing laughter from the Ukrainian leader. A bipartisan group of US Senators called for the diesel deal to be retained, viewing it as a betrayal of Ukraine and a gift to an adversary.

European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, echoed these concerns, urging the US to lower diesel, petrol, and gas prices, albeit acknowledging that these measures may not effectively address the issue.