Speaking to reporters at the White House on 20 October, Donald Trump said he wants Ukraine to reach an agreement with Russia to end the war that began in February 2022. He said Zelensky must have the will to end the fighting, and that if he does not, things will end very badly. Trump blamed the deep hatred between Zelensky and Vladimir Putin for the lack of a deal, and argued that Europe is growing tired of the conflict. He said the United States had given Ukraine hundreds of billions of dollars in aid and weapons and had received nothing in return except high diesel prices, which he linked to Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities. The remarks follow a fuel purchase deal Trump signed with Russia and an easing of sanctions against Moscow, while Zelensky has complained of delays in deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles.
In Oslo on 20 October, Zelensky met US envoy Steve Witkoff, while Jared Kushner joined by video, according to Zelensky. At a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to negotiate and floated a possible trilateral meeting of the leaders of Russia and the United States. He said the next step depended on what Putin would say. The proposal is to be relayed to Russian negotiators on Wednesday, 21 October, when Witkoff visits St Petersburg. Stubb and Støre both spoke of substantial progress in the talks without giving details, and Stubb said Witkoff would carry proposals drawn from discussions in Miami among Americans, Ukrainians and Europeans.
After a phone call with Marco Rubio on 20 October, which Zelensky described as positive, the two discussed Starlink, interceptor missiles and intelligence sharing. Rubio and Zelensky agreed to speak again on Thursday, 22 October. Zelensky said US intelligence sharing with Kyiv is working well again after Ukraine complained in the days before 20 October of failures that hit its interception of Russian missiles. He had previously accused Washington of allegedly limiting intelligence exchanges and restricting access to Starshield, the military satellite version of Starlink used by his army, and attributed this to an alleged US intention to force Ukraine to capitulate. The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is holding up Patriot interceptors that allies were to send to Ukraine.
Zelensky said security guarantees for Ukraine were discussed in Oslo and that several proposals inspired by NATO's Article 5, which sets out collective defence, were presented. He thanked the US side for again stressing that such guarantees would be solid. He backed a US proposal for an energy ceasefire but accused Russia of continuing its attacks, saying work on a solution was under way. He also said Ukraine is not losing the war but is losing people because Russia attacks. SIC Notícias reported that Russian strikes injured nine people in Kharkiv and hit another energy facility in the capital.
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Zelensky met US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on 20 October and proposed a trilateral leaders' meeting with the United States and Russia. The same day, Trump told reporters at the White House that Zelensky must have the will to end the war.
AI text based on reports by SAPO, Observador, Notícias ao Minuto and other publishers. Published .