US envoy to meet Putin after 'positive' talks with Zelensky

Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg on Wednesday following what Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as "positive" talks with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo. Rubio said Witkoff would carry ideas from the Norwegian capital to Russia in hopes of breaking the diplomatic impasse over the three-year war.

"He'll now, armed with those ideas, be able to go to Saint Petersburg and share them with the Russian side -- and let's see if we can make some progress," Rubio said during a visit to India. Witkoff's itinerary includes virtual participation by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to a US official.

Intelligence Resumed

Zelensky thanked Washington on Tuesday for restoring intelligence sharing on Russian strikes, telling reporters in Oslo: "We are thankful that intelligence works," describing the alerts as "very, very important for our people, for children, adults, civilians" when ballistic missiles approached. The resumption followed days of friction during which Trump had demanded Zelensky's resignation and accused him of refusing to pursue peace.

Ukraine had earlier accused the White House of deliberately withholding intelligence and delaying deliveries of interceptor missiles funded by European allies. Zelensky told US senators on Monday that the Pentagon was holding up Patriot missiles already paid for by several European countries, awaiting signature from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Prisoner Appeal

Trump said Tuesday he had personally asked Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, an American citizen held captive by Russian forces in Ukraine. "I've been talking to him at length. I've asked him to release him. Let's see what happens," Trump told journalists in Washington.

The US president has maintained pressure on Kyiv to accept a settlement, stating at the White House that he wanted Zelensky to reach an agreement with Moscow as Russia intensifies strikes ahead of winter. Trump also waived sanctions against Russia's war machine last week, drawing sharp criticism from Ukrainian officials.

Kyiv's Demands

Zelensky rejected Trump's suggestion of a potential meeting between the US president, Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing next month that might exclude Ukraine. "If there are issues about Ukraine, our future, it can be acceptable only when we are at the table of negotiations," he said.

The Ukrainian leader also reported reduced speeds on Starshield, the military satellite system provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX, though Rubio denied White House involvement. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Musk had personally ordered the slowdown in the military-grade communications network.