World · 2026-10-20 · Afternoon briefing

Zelensky meets US envoy in Oslo as relations with Washington sour

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on October 20th for talks organised amid deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Washington. The meeting, hosted by Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, follows a U.S.-Russia diesel deal announced on October 9th that strained ties. Another U.S. envoy, Jared Kushner, was scheduled to join remotely.

The discussions also involve senior officials from the EU and NATO. The summit takes place against a backdrop of sharp public criticism between Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump recently accused the Ukrainian leader of not wanting to end the war, while Zelensky countered that siding with Russia's Vladimir Putin would be a "historic mistake."

Following the Oslo talks, Witkoff is expected to travel to Moscow to meet Putin. His agenda includes discussing the possible release of Stephen Hubbard, a 72-year-old American citizen captured by Russian forces in 2022 while serving with a Ukrainian territorial defence unit near Izium.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

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• Zelensky meets Trump envoy Witkoff in Norway as US-Ukraine ties sour
• Zelensky to meet US envoy, European leaders in Oslo amid tensions with Washington
• Zelensky to meet Witkoff after Trump says Russia has been ‘fine’ on Ukraine
• Zelensky arrives in Oslo for talks with US envoys: Agency
• The stakes of today’s meeting between Ukraine’s Zelensky & U.S. envoy Witkoff

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