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Zelensky Meets US Envoys in Norway Amid Missile Delivery Claims
Confirmed
In Short: Zelensky's meeting with US envoys came after he had accused the US of delaying missile deliveries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with top US envoys, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday, amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to address the Ukraine conflict.
Zelensky accused the United States of deliberately delaying the delivery of interceptor missiles to Ukraine, a claim the US has denied. He insisted that the US military satellite system, Starshield, needs to be restored and that ballistic missile interceptors are necessary to protect lives.
During the meeting, Zelensky emphasized the need for continued open and honest relations with the US, stating, “We want to understand what is happening, why it's happening, and where all this is heading,” in a bipartisan group of US senators and representatives.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway said the meeting aimed to put diplomatic efforts on a more constructive path. Zelensky also held talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, furthering international engagement on the Ukraine conflict.
Zelensky's meeting with US envoys came after he had accused the US of delaying missile deliveries. He also discussed the resumption of hitting Russian refineries in response to unrelenting strikes on Ukraine.
In a separate development, US President Donald Trump urged Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, citing concerns about diesel shortages. Trump said, “Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel, because he's causing a shortage of diesel fuel.”
Zelensky's comments and the US response reflect the complex dynamics in the ongoing conflict, with both sides emphasizing the need for diplomatic engagement and addressing security concerns.
The meeting in Oslo is part of a broader push to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, following recent talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian officials.
Zelensky expressed optimism about diplomatic momentum, stating, “There are ideas for de-escalation steps and for addressing fundamental security issues – energy security, food security, and the protection of human life.”
Background
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country comprising the western and northernmost parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe, the remote Arctic island Jan Mayen and the archipelago Svalbard. Bouvet Island, located in the Subantarctic, is a dependency, and not a part of the Kingdom; Norway also claims the Antarctic territories of Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land.
What's confirmed
- US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, saying attacks on the country's energy infrastructure were contributing to a diesel shortage.
- “Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel, because he's causing a shortage of diesel fuel.” Ukraine has increasingly used long-range drones to strike Russia's oil and gas infrastructure, arguing that the facilities help finance Moscow's war effort and supply fuel for its military.
- Five people were killed and another 67 were injured on Thursday after a Russian drone hit a shopping center in Pavlohrad, in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region.
What's still developing
- Trump said he was ready to meet Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China next month to discuss denuclearisation, adding that talks could also cover the Ukraine war -- fuelling fears in Kyiv that it was being sidelined.
- "We want to continue to have open, honest and pragmatic relations" with the US, Zelensky told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Tuesday.
- Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the strike as a “tactic of coercion.” The attack comes amid an intensification of strikes on shopping centers in Ukraine.
- In Kyiv, Reuters reported military veteran Stepan Yermak said, "The issue can be solved in the blink of an eye. We want peace," while Svitlana Kurylenko, a 19-year-old cafe worker, said, "We need an agreement that will never be broken."
- It said Russia had attacked Ukraine with 453 drones in total.
- “The visit’s agenda will focus on shared Canadian-Ukrainian priorities, including deepening defense, economic, and energy cooperation,” the office of the Canadian Prime Minister confirmed.
- Ukraine accuses Russia of violating energy ceasefire as Trump defends fuel supplies Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) said that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to reach a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war more than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while reiterating that both leaders must come together to end the conflict amid questions over alleged violations of the proposed energy ceasefire.
- “I'm not sure about that, and we'll take a look. But all I know is that Zelensky and Putin have to get together and end that ridiculous war. This month they lost 32,000 people in that war, and it's ridiculous. So they have to get together and get it done,” Trump said.
- A Russian drone strike on a civilian vessel in the Black Sea on Monday killed the ship’s captain, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding that Indian and Azerbaijani citizens were also on board.
- Also Read: New Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Offers 34 Kmpl Mileage, Luxury For The Super-Rich The Ukrainian embassy in Delhi also condemned the attack, calling Russia “barbarian” and saying it did not care that the “factory belongs to Indian owners” and was producing “critically needed medicines”.
- At least nine people were injured in a “massive” Russian nighttime attack on Odesa, according to Serhii Lysak, who heads the city’s military administration.
- "We’re working very closely with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, and we will get that one done," Trump said, adding that an agreement would happen "more quickly than people understand."