Zelenskyy to hold talks on Russia-Ukraine war with Witkoff, Europeans

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkWorkers clear the rubble from a metro station following a Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv on October 19, 2026 [AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff and ReutersPublished On 20 Oct 202620 Oct 2026Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to hold talks with United States special envoy Steve Witkoff and European leaders in Norway, aimed at ending the war with Russia.The prime ministers of Norway and Finland will attend the talks in Oslo on Tuesday, while President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to attend remotely because of illness.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Finland seeking one million land mines as it eyes Russian threatlist 2 of 3Children among six killed in Russian drone strike on Ukraine parklist 3 of 3US-Ukraine relations sour as Trump, Zelenskyy clash over talks, armsend of listThe meeting comes as Trump continues to publicly castigate Zelenskyy, accusing him of not wanting to end the war and suggesting that someone else should negotiate on Kyiv’s behalf.Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Zelenskyy requested that Witkoff and Kushner participate in Tuesday’s discussions.In a post on X before the talks, Zelenskyy said he had engaged in a “substantive conversation” with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about missile interceptors, intelligence sharing and Starlink, a satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.Last week, Zelenskyy accused Washington of withholding intelligence from Kyiv and limiting Starlink’s internet speed. Ukraine’s armed forces use SpaceX’s military-grade internet network Starshield for several operations, including drone attacks.Zelenskyy did not confirm whether Rubio had committed to addressing the issues raised, including supplying Ukraine with crucial US-made Patriot missile interceptors and restoring intelligence sharing and Starshield services. However, he described the discussion as “constructive” and said the two had agreed to speak again soon. The talks come as the two warring sides continue to launch long-range air attacks on each other.At least three people were killed across Ukraine in Russian attacks on Tuesday. A Russian drone struck a highway connecting Kyiv to the Black Sea port of Odesa, killing three people and injuring four, Kyiv’s regional prosecutor’s office confirmed.Meanwhile, more than 32,000 families are without electricity after Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, confirmed that three of its energy facilities in the southern Odesa region had been hit by Russia.The governor of Russia’s Tambov Oblast said on Tuesday that a fire had broken out at an oil pumping station after an overnight Ukrainian drone attack. Yevgeny Pervyshov said four drones were intercepted.Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Zelenskyy in recent weeks, while easing pressure on Russia, including lifting sanctions on its diesel exports. Trump has been eager to bring down energy prices, which have surged as a result of the US-Israel war on Iran.Zelenskyy has described the agreement to waive sanctions on Russian diesel as a “reward” for President Vladimir Putin, warning that it would only embolden him.