Europe
Zelensky meets Witkoff in Oslo: U.S. restores intelligence sharing, American envoy heads to Russia
The meeting, organized by Norway and Finland, came at the height of tensions between Kyiv and Trump; Stubb speaks of “real progress.”
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 20, 2026, 21:00 · Updated 12:22 · 2 min read
In brief
- Zelensky held talks in Oslo with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, while Jared Kushner joined by video.
- The Ukrainian president thanked the U.S. for restoring intelligence sharing, especially ballistic missile warnings.
- Witkoff was expected in Russia on Oct. 21 to “advance peace negotiations.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on Tuesday, at a meeting organized by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Jared Kushner, who according to Reuters was ill, took part by video link. Also at the table were Bjoern Seibert, Ursula von der Leyen's chief of staff, and a representative of the NATO secretary-general.
According to Støre, it was Ukraine itself that asked for the U.S. envoys to join the meeting, which he described as taking place “at a critical time for Ukraine.” After the talks, Stubb said “real progress” had been made.
Intelligence and warnings
After the meeting, Zelensky thanked Washington for restoring intelligence sharing, which he said had been temporarily suspended. He stressed the importance of early warning of ballistic missile launches. Zelensky said he discussed interceptor missiles, warning systems and Starlink communications with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio, who was in India, called reports that the U.S. had deliberately denied Ukraine warnings “outrageous.”
The meeting took place in a tense climate. Trump has said Zelensky “does not want to end the war” and that it is time for “someone else to negotiate on Ukraine's behalf.” Zelensky, for his part, warned in an interview with NBC that siding with Putin would be a “historic mistake.”
New overnight attacks
Meanwhile, Russian attacks continued. According to RFE/RL, at least three people were killed in the Kyiv region, where bodies were found while firefighters put out a blaze at a production and storage facility, and three others died in a drone strike on the Kyiv–Odesa highway. In the Odesa region, more than 30,000 households were left without power. A U.S. official said Witkoff would travel to Russia on Oct. 21 to advance the negotiations.
