Trump and Zelensky Clash as Oslo Talks Test Ukraine Support

Donald Trump's waiver of sanctions against Russia drew criticism from Republican and Democratic lawmakers and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The dispute has since widened beyond sanctions to the military support Ukraine receives and who should negotiate an end to the war.

The broader friction involves intelligence sharing, sanctions and Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, according to CNN Brasil. The New York Times described Trump's recent steps as reflecting an intensifying desire to normalize relations with Moscow, even at Ukraine's expense.

On October 19, Zelensky accused Washington of holding up deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles already paid for by European allies, according to AFP. Le Monde reported that Ukraine was acutely short of the interceptors, which it described as the only missiles capable of bringing down Russia's most sophisticated weapons.

Zelensky also said he had received no warnings before Russia's overnight missile and drone attacks and accused the United States of limiting intelligence, CBS reported. Separately, he said Washington appeared to be pressing Ukraine toward a quick end to the war at its expense, according to Infobae.

Trump responded on October 19 by saying someone other than Zelensky should negotiate on Kyiv's behalf, the South China Morning Post reported. He also defended Russia's recent conduct, saying it had been "fine" and that its forces "haven't been doing much," according to NDTV.

That day, Trump said he was open to three-way arms-control talks with the leaders of Russia and China as soon as November, Reuters reported. The proposed meeting has been described differently across the coverage: DIE ZEIT presented it as a Ukraine summit without Ukraine, while The Japan Times reported that Trump wanted a denuclearization focus.

On October 20, the dispute continued alongside preparations for diplomacy. Arab News reported that the Norwegian government had confirmed US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would join Zelensky and leaders from Norway and Finland for talks in Oslo.

The intelligence dispute remains contested. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected accusations that Ukrainians were dying because Washington was withholding intelligence, the BBC reported. That denial addresses a central Ukrainian allegation, but does not establish what warnings Kyiv received before the latest attacks.

Zelensky has also reported a "substantial" conversation with Rubio about restoring Starlink service and missile interceptors, according to Le Monde. The supplied coverage does not establish that the disputed missile deliveries have resumed.

The immediate test is the Oslo meeting: whether US envoys, Ukraine and European leaders can make progress despite the public clash. Euronews reported that Witkoff's meeting with Zelensky would precede planned talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

A separate question is whether the proposed November meeting between Trump, Putin and Xi Jinping takes place, and what it covers. Trump's openness to arms-control discussions is not confirmation of a summit or an agreement on Ukraine, according to the proposal described by Reuters.