Zelensky meets Witkoff in Oslo as Rubio denies Patriot delays are deliberate

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sat down with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on Tuesday, in the first face-to-face contact between Kyiv and Washington's chief negotiator since relations between the two capitals began to fray earlier this month. Hours later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters during his visit to India, acknowledged that a shipment of missile interceptors for Ukraine may have been held up, but insisted there was no political decision to hurt Kyiv.

Who is at the table

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Finland's President Alexander Stubb are co-hosting the talks, which Store said were organised at Zelensky's request. The format is layered: a one-on-one between Zelensky and Witkoff, a three-way meeting with the Nordic leaders, and a joint session of all four. Officials from the UK, France, Germany and Poland were expected, along with Bjoern Seibert, chief of staff to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and a senior NATO official. Jared Kushner, the other US envoy on the file, was due to join remotely after falling ill.

The stated goal is to shape a peace proposal that Witkoff can carry to Moscow. The Kremlin said on Tuesday it hoped a meeting between Witkoff and President Vladimir Putin could be arranged soon, describing the American mediation as timely and substantive.

Why the mood is tense

The backdrop is the worst stretch in US-Ukraine relations in months. Since Washington announced a diesel-supply arrangement with Russia on October 9 and eased some sanctions on Moscow, President Donald Trump and Zelensky have traded public criticism. On Monday, Trump said Russia had been fine on Ukraine and suggested Kyiv should find someone else to negotiate on its behalf.

Kyiv, for its part, accuses Washington of using military aid and technology access as leverage to stop Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries. Zelensky said he raised ballistic missile interceptors, early warning of Russian missile launches and the restoration of Starlink and Starshield satellite services in a call with Rubio earlier in the day.

Rubio's answer on interceptors

Rubio said he spoke with Zelensky for about 45 minutes. On the Patriot question, he argued that interceptors are among the most sought-after items in global defence right now and that the United States has its own needs, so a country not receiving them should not read it as a denial. He conceded that a batch may have been held up while Washington weighs priorities.

Ukrainian officials have alleged that contracts for Patriot missiles already paid for by NATO allies are awaiting the signature of US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Global stocks of the interceptors were drawn down heavily during the war with Iran, and Poland's foreign minister said on Tuesday his country has none left to pass to Ukraine.

What it means

The Oslo meeting is a test of whether Europe can keep Kyiv and Washington on the same negotiating track as the US engages directly with Moscow. For markets, including India's, any shift in the Russia-Ukraine endgame matters through crude and diesel prices, which have been volatile since the US-Russia fuel arrangement. A joint press conference by Zelensky, Store and Stubb was expected after the talks, and Witkoff's next stop, if confirmed, will be Moscow.

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