Russia unleashed a missile and drone barrage on civilian areas in Ukraine on Tuesday, killing at least nine people, according to Ukrainian officials. The strikes came as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Oslo to meet with U.S. and European leaders in a bid to secure additional military support.
In Norway, Zelenskyy met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Former White House advisor Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, was also slated to attend by videoconference. Zelenskyy said the discussions would focus on strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses and joint weapons production.
Zelenskyy said he also spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is traveling in Asia, describing it as a “substantive conversation.” The Ukrainian leader has warned that his country has nearly exhausted its supply of American-made Patriot air defense interceptors and accused the Pentagon of delaying delivery of missiles purchased by other nations for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also said Kyiv had received no or belated warnings about recent Russian missile attacks and that speed restrictions on the military-grade Starshield satellite internet service were hampering battlefield operations. Rubio denied the U.S. is withholding assistance, stating Patriot ammunition is in short supply globally and there has been “not been some deliberate political directive to go out and harm Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow hopes to organize a meeting in Russia with U.S. envoys soon, potentially as early as Wednesday. Peskov called the meetings with Trump’s envoys “very important” and said Russia “highly appreciate[s] the mediation efforts of the American negotiators.”
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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