Zelensky meets with US envoy Witkoff for talks in Oslo

Talks about Ukraine war Zelensky meets with US envoy Witkoff As of: October 20, 2026 • 12:50 p.m

In Oslo, Ukrainian President Zelenskyj meets with US envoy Witkoff for talks. Recently, relations between the USA and Ukraine deteriorated again because of Trump's dealings with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo today as part of diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war of aggression. "President Zelensky has asked Norway and Finland to organize a meeting as part of ongoing diplomatic mediation efforts," the Norwegian government said. Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, will be connected digitally to the meeting.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb will also take part in the talks. “The aim is to steer diplomatic efforts back into more constructive channels,” said Støre, according to the NTB news agency.

US President Trump is toughening his tone against Zelensky. The Ukrainian president also blames the USA. more

Another goal of the meeting is likely to be to mend relations with the US government, which have deteriorated again in the past two weeks. Trump, who suspended US sanctions against Russia in order to lower fuel prices in the US, according to his own statements, had repeatedly criticized Zelensky.

Most recently, the US President accused Ukraine of not offering anything in return for US support. "We gave a lot to Ukraine - they gave us nothing," he said in Washington. Russia “behaved correctly with regard to Ukraine,” Trump continued. Zelenskyj is “not exactly helping the cause.” Ukraine needs to find “someone else to negotiate.”

Trump changed course on the Ukraine war several times during his presidency. However, he repeatedly attracts attention with positions close to Russia, such as the suspension of the new US sanctions, calls for Zelensky to resign or allegations that Russia would "like to make a deal" but the Ukrainian president would not "for whatever reason".

Arne Bartram, ARD Stockholm, currently Oslo, about the meeting between Zelenskyj and US special envoy Witkoff tagesschau24, October 20, 2026 • 2:00 p.m. Ukraine complains about withholding weapons According to a report by the Axios portal, Selenskyj is said to have complained that Washington is withholding arms deliveries. As a result, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is said to have not approved the delivery of Patriot and other air defense missiles, even though NATO countries had already paid for them.

A senior ministry official contradicted this account. There have been no changes to the program through which NATO countries buy US weapons for Ukraine, he told the dpa news agency.

In a post on

With information from Jana Sinram, ARD Stockholm

This topic in the program: tagesschau24 | News | Oct 20, 2026 | 9:00 a.m., tagesschau.de | Zelensky meets US special envoy Witkoff in Oslo | Oct 20, 2026 | 11:46 a.m