Zelenskyy to meet US envoys Witkoff and Kushner in Oslo as Trump threatens to sideline Ukraine from war negotiations

INTERNATIONAL: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Oslo on Tuesday, alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, a diplomatic session Ukraine itself requested, as tensions with Washington reach a new high and President Donald Trump signals openness to discussing the war’s end without Zelenskyy present, according to CNBC.

The meeting comes as the US has recently eased some pressure on Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022.

“Diplomatic efforts have previously taken place in several countries, and Norway and Finland are pleased to be able to continue this work. The aim is to put diplomatic efforts on a more constructive path,” Støre said in a statement.

Trump escalates criticism of Zelenskyy

The Oslo meeting comes as Trump continued his public criticism of the Ukrainian leader, telling reporters outside the White House that Zelenskyy “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” and that “it’s time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine”, echoing his previous calls for a new president in Kyiv.

“If he would have listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago, and he’d have a million people living from his side,” Trump said, according to CNBC.

Trump also reiterated his openness to a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ending the war, which would be a summit that could reportedly exclude Zelenskyy. “Anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody’s there or not,” Trump told reporters.

The remarks came after Zelenskyy criticised Trump’s decision to waive key provisions of a new Russian sanctions bill passed last month with broad bipartisan Congressional support, saying the move demonstrated that Trump was on the “wrong side” of history.

Starshield dispute unresolved

The Oslo talks also follow Zelenskyy’s public criticism last week of restrictions on Ukraine’s access to Starshield, which is SpaceX’s military satellite system critical to Ukraine’s defence against Russian strikes. “No explanation for either of these issues has been provided to Ukraine by the American side,” Zelenskyy said on Monday, CNBC reported.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the US government and Trump are “ultimately” responsible for any slowdowns, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied US involvement and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Zelenskyy to be “very careful about making statements like this that aren’t true.” Trump said he did not know who ordered the Starlink restrictions but wanted to find out.