Zelensky insisted that Ukraine must be represented in any negotiations concerning the country.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Saint Petersburg early Wednesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following what US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as positive discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The visit is part of Washington’s efforts to ease tensions between US President Donald Trump and Zelensky over the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Zelensky met Witkoff in Oslo and thanked Washington on Tuesday for resuming intelligence sharing on Russian strikes. He said early warnings about incoming ballistic missiles were crucial for protecting civilians, including children.

“We are thankful that intelligence works,” Zelensky told reporters, describing the warnings as “very, very important for our people, for children, adults, civilians”.

Rubio said Witkoff would travel to Russia after his discussions with the Ukrainian president, taking Kyiv’s proposals to the Russian side in an effort to make progress towards ending the conflict.

“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.

A US official told AFP that Witkoff’s planned meeting with Putin on Wednesday would also involve Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, participating virtually.

Russian news agencies reported that Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s adviser for international economic cooperation, received Witkoff at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg.

Trump Urges Zelensky to Reach Deal

Trump continued to pressure Ukraine to negotiate with Moscow, saying on Tuesday that he wanted Zelensky to “make a deal” with Russia as Russian attacks intensified ahead of winter.

The US president also said he had asked Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, an American who was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine years ago. It remained unclear whether the issue would be raised during Wednesday’s talks.

“I’ve been talking to him at length. I’ve asked him to release him. Let’s see what happens,” Trump told reporters in Washington.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Zelensky for refusing to accept terms he said he had proposed during their contentious Oval Office meeting in February 2025. Last week, he also called on the Ukrainian president to resign.

Tensions between Washington and Kyiv escalated after Trump struck a diesel-supply deal with Putin and called for a change in Ukraine’s leadership following Ukraine’s refusal to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries.

Ukraine also reacted with concern after Washington waived sanctions affecting Russia’s war-related energy supplies.

Zelensky accused Trump of weakness and alleged that the United States was deliberately withholding critical intelligence and delaying deliveries of interceptor missiles.

Dispute Over Satellite Communications

The dispute has also extended to Starlink and Starshield satellite communications systems developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Ukraine has reported reduced speeds on Starshield, the military-grade system it uses for battlefield communications and operations against Russian-occupied territory.

Trump denied ordering a reduction in the system’s speeds after Musk said such a decision could only have come from the White House.

Rubio said on Wednesday that Washington had no prior knowledge of the reported slowdown.

“The president has nothing to do with the decisions that are made by Starlink and Starshield and by Mr Musk,” Rubio said in Mumbai.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Musk had ordered the slowdown of the military-grade version of Starlink.

Ukraine Seeks Assurances Over Military Support

Witkoff’s visit follows diplomatic efforts in Washington, Kyiv and other Western capitals to ease tensions and prevent a further deterioration in relations.

Zelensky told US senators on Monday that the Pentagon was delaying the delivery of missiles already purchased by European countries because the shipment was awaiting the approval of US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

He also said several European countries were prepared to transfer Patriot interceptor missiles from their own stockpiles but were waiting for US approval.

Trump has accused Zelensky of failing to make sufficient efforts to resolve the conflict. The dispute has raised concerns in Kyiv about the future of American military and intelligence support.

The diplomatic tensions come as Trump’s Republican Party faces challenging midterm elections amid rising fuel prices.

Trump has also said he is prepared to meet Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China next month to discuss nuclear disarmament, with the Ukraine war potentially included in the discussions.

The possibility of talks without Ukraine has raised concerns that Kyiv could be excluded from decisions affecting its future.

Zelensky insisted that Ukraine must be represented in any negotiations concerning the country.

“If there are issues about Ukraine, our future, it can be acceptable only when we are at the table of negotiations,” he said on Tuesday.