--- title: "Trump's Envoys Reproach Zelensky Over Criticism: Details of Closed Oslo Meeting" description: "US special envoys Witkoff and Kushner reproached Zelensky in Oslo over his responses to Trump's criticism. The closed meeting came amid Washington's rapprochement with Moscow." date: 2026-10-22T09:23:21.233Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/trumps-envoys-reproach-zelensky-oslo tags: [donald-trump, volodymyr-zelensky, steve-witkoff, jared-kushner, us-ukraine-relations, oslo-meeting, diplomacy] author: "Alexander Buran, Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Trump's Envoys Reproach Zelensky Over Criticism: Details of Closed Oslo Meeting ![Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff speaking at an event in Oslo](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/22/poslantsi-trampa-ukrepnuli-zelenskogo-v-oslo/poslantsi-trampa-ukrepnuli-zelenskogo-v-oslo-1.webp) ## Key Points - The meeting between US special envoys Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Volodymyr Zelensky took place on October 20, 2026, in Oslo. - American emissaries privately reproached the Ukrainian president for answering Donald Trump's criticism. - Washington regarded Zelensky's reaction as disrespectful and angering to the White House chief. - The day after Oslo, Witkoff visited St. Petersburg to hold talks with the Russian leadership. US President's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a private conversation with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during a closed meeting in Oslo on October 20, 2026. According to American and Ukrainian media, the harsh conversation was prompted by the Ukrainian president's public responses to criticism from Donald Trump, which caused displeasure in Washington. ### Undeclared Rules of the White House and Washington's Reaction As noted by The New York Times, unwritten rules govern diplomatic relations with the current US administration. Specifically, Donald Trump reserves the right to openly criticize foreign leaders, but sharp responses or attempts to publicly contradict the American president are taken extremely poorly by Washington. The task of having a frank discussion with Zelensky was personally assigned by the head of the White House after the Ukrainian leader made sharp statements in response to accusations. During the closed-door discussion, the special envoys directly pointed out Zelensky's rhetoric, which they claimed had angered the American president. In turn, the Ukrainian leader tried to defend his position, insisting at certain points during the negotiations, "I never said that." This was reported to journalists on condition of anonymity by a participant in that closed meeting. ### Contrast in American Diplomacy and the St. Petersburg Trip The tension in relations between Kyiv and Washington sharply contrasts with the diplomatic maneuvers of American emissaries on other fronts. Just a day after the meeting in Oslo, Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg to hold peace talks with the Russian leadership. Following the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard from a Russian prison, Witkoff unexpectedly called Russian dictator Vladimir Putin a "humanist," after which Donald Trump publicly supported the statement. Such steps occur against the background of escalating public rhetoric from Washington regarding Ukraine. The US president had previously openly accused Volodymyr Zelensky of unwillingness to end the armed conflict, questioned the expediency of dealing with him, and even called on the citizens of Ukraine to elect a new head of state. In response, the Ukrainian side continues to defend its national interests despite growing pressure from the American administration. ### Significance of the Incident for Future Kyiv-Washington Dialogue The conversation between Trump's special envoys and Zelensky in Oslo marks a new phase of cooling in bilateral relations and demonstrates the toughness of the American approach toward allies. Washington's demands to unreservedly accept criticism and refrain from public contradictions pose serious challenges for Ukrainian diplomacy, which is trying to maintain bipartisan support in the US. Future developments will depend on the parties' ability to find compromises while the White House simultaneously increases pressure on Kyiv and softens its rhetoric toward Moscow. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Посланники Трампа упрекнули Зеленского из-за критики президента США: NYT раскрыло детали](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/poslantsi-trampa-doriknuli-zelenskomu-cherez-1792660635.html) - Primary source confirming details of the closed meeting in Oslo and the trip to St. Petersburg. - [В Давосе состоялась встреча Трампа и Зеленского. Она продлилась около часа](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B2-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B5/20260122-%D0%B2-%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%B5-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%8F%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%8C-%D0%B2%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B0-%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B0-%D0%B8-%D0%B7%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%8C-%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE-%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B0) - Additional context regarding high-level meetings. ## FAQ ### Which US representatives held the meeting with Zelensky in Oslo? The meeting was conducted by US President's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. ### Why did the American envoys express dissatisfaction with Zelensky? The reason was the Ukrainian president's responses to public criticism from Donald Trump. ### Where did Steve Witkoff go immediately after the Oslo meeting? The day after the Oslo meeting, Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg for peace talks.