Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a press conference with Taoiseach Micheal Martin at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine. Picture date: Thursday July 23, 2026.
Niall Carson – Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet with U.S. special envoys on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump aimed a fresh spate of criticism at the wartime leader.
Zelenskyy will arrive in Norway on Tuesday and meet with the country’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr and President of Finland Alexander Stubb in Oslo later in the day. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will also take part in the discussions.
The meetings come as tensions mount between Zelenskyy and Trump, while the U.S. has recently eased some pressure on Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine requested that Witkoff and Kushner join the meeting in Oslo, Norway, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in a statement.
“Diplomatic efforts have previously taken place in several countries, and Norway and Finland are pleased to be able to continue this work. The aim is to put diplomatic efforts on a more constructive path,” he said.
Trump responded to criticism on Monday that he waived sanctions against Russia recently and is on the “wrong side” of history.
“Zelenskyy doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Trump said to reporters outside the White House. “Zelenskyy is a man that should have had this war settled a long time ago.”
“I think it’s time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine,” Trump said, echoing previous calls for a “new president” in Kyiv. “If he would have listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago, and he’d have a million people living from his side.”
Trump also said he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to figure out how to end the Ukraine war, which reportedly could exclude Zelenskyy. “Anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody’s there or not,” Trump said.
Starshield complications
Last week, Zelenskyy hit out at the U.S. government over restrictions on access to satellite services offered by SpaceX’s military satellite system, Starshield, which is critical to Ukraine’s defense against Russian strikes.
“No explanation for either of these issues has been provided to Ukraine by the American side,” Zelenskyy said on Monday.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had shifted the blame to the U.S. government and Trump, who he said are “ultimately” responsible for any slowdowns. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the U.S. is responsible, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Zelenskyy to be “very careful about making statements like this that aren’t true.”
Trump said Monday that he doesn’t know who restricted the Starlink service in Ukraine, “but I’d like to find out.”
— CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger has contributed to this report.
