ZELENSKYY IN NORWAY: UNDER PRESSURE, WITH EUROPEAN PARTNERS BESIDE HIM
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Norway for talks with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and European partners on efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb are involved in the Oslo discussions, bringing European security concerns directly into the conversation.
Zelenskyy is facing heavy pressure from Washington. Disputes over Russian energy strikes, delayed defensive supplies and military satellite access have strained relations at a moment when Ukraine continues to endure deadly attacks.
But pressure must not be mistaken for isolation. European countries are helping finance Ukraine’s defense, supplying equipment and taking part in shaping proposals before they are presented to Moscow.
Their involvement matters because Ukraine’s security is inseparable from Europe’s own. A settlement that leaves Russia able to regroup and attack again would carry consequences far beyond Ukraine’s borders.
For Kyiv, European support provides a stronger position from which to defend its interests. That support must continue through the difficult decisions: keeping weapons flowing, addressing funding needs and insisting that Ukraine has the right to determine its future.
The talks have yet to produce an announced agreement. Their value will be measured by the protection and commitments that follow.
Zelenskyy enters Oslo representing a country under attack—but also a country whose partners understand that its survival matters to their own future. Europe’s task is to turn that understanding into sustained action beside Ukraine.