US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is deeply troubled by accusations suggesting he deliberately harms Ukraine, including claims that he ordered a halt to intelligence sharing. Speaking during a visit to Mumbai, India,
Rubio explained that the president strongly dislikes being blamed for untrue matters, emphasizing that the administration does not intentionally withhold military supplies from Ukraine. Instead, he noted, the approach simply involves balancing commitments to various partners alongside domestic facility needs.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Oslo on Tuesday to meet with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in an effort to mend bilateral ties that have sharply deteriorated over the past two weeks amid a growing rapprochement between the
US president and Moscow. This diplomatic move coincides with Trump, who previously suspended certain sanctions against Russia as part of an effort to lower domestic fuel prices, continuing his frequent criticism of the Ukrainian leader. Kyiv claims that Washington has
recently failed to provide early warnings regarding Russian missile launches and restricted SpaceX satellite communication services used to guide Ukrainian drones. Trump remarked that Russia has been cooperative regarding Ukraine, while asserting that Zelensky is unhelpful in resolving matters, and
urged Kyiv to find someone else to negotiate. In response, Zelensky noted that he discussed issues with Rubio including ballistic missile intercept systems, early warning capabilities for Russian strikes, and the restoration of the Starlink network. Zelensky posted on X
that these efforts remain tied to diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the war. Western European capitals view defending Ukraine against the Russian invasion as an existential security issue, strongly backing Zelensky to prevent a deeper rift between Washington and Kyiv,
while the US under Trump has largely halted direct weapons provisions to Ukraine while allowing European nations to purchase them on Kyiv's behalf alongside providing unmatched intelligence and technological support.
