US President Donald Trump has urged Ukraine to seek a settlement with Russia to end the ongoing war, arguing that Moscow holds a battlefield advantage due to its military strength and territorial gains.
“Ukraine has to want to settle this war,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
He described Russia as a powerful military force that continued to advance, adding that Moscow had captured a substantial amount of territory.
Meanwhile, US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict gathered pace. Witkoff was scheduled to travel to Russia on Wednesday to brief Russian officials on the discussions.
Zelensky’s visit to Oslo came amid deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Washington, as Trump has pursued closer engagement with Moscow.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Ukrainian president held a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Zelensky said Ukraine had resumed receiving advance warnings about potential Russian missile attacks following concerns raised by Kyiv over the suspension of intelligence sharing on Russian air strikes.
“Now it works, it’s great,” Zelensky said.
He added that the discussions also covered supplies of Patriot missile interceptors and the US-provided Starlink satellite communication system. Ukraine had previously reported problems using Starlink on fast-moving platforms, including drones.
Trump’s recent moves towards Moscow, including a proposed deal involving Russian diesel and the easing of new sanctions, have drawn criticism from both Republicans and Democrats in the US Congress and raised concerns among European governments.
Zelensky said he expected to speak with Rubio again within 48 hours.
During the Oslo talks, the Ukrainian president also discussed security guarantees for his country, including arrangements similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all members.
Zelensky welcomed Washington’s assurances that the proposed guarantees would be strong, adding that several options had been included in documents Witkoff would present to Russian officials. Kyiv expected to receive Moscow’s response after the discussions.
The Ukrainian president reiterated his country’s willingness to address key issues related to ending the war through a trilateral meeting involving the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre described the Oslo meeting as positive and constructive. He said Witkoff would meet Russian leadership in St Petersburg to discuss proposals developed by European and American officials, potentially paving the way for a meeting between the leaders.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb also expressed optimism, saying the peace process appeared to be back on track.
Witkoff and Zelensky greeted each other with an embrace before the talks, which were also attended remotely by US President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The United States has largely halted direct weapons supplies to Ukraine but allows European countries to purchase American military equipment for Kyiv under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme. Washington has also continued providing intelligence and technology that European countries cannot fully replace.
However, a source familiar with the matter said most weapons deliveries under the programme were continuing, while US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had yet to approve Ukraine’s latest requests for Patriot missile interceptors.
The supply of additional air defence systems remains a key concern for Kyiv as it seeks to strengthen its defences against Russian missile and aerial attacks.
