US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has rejected suggestions that Washington halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine. His remarks followed comments by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said the United States had resumed supplying crucial intelligence to help Kyiv defend itself against Russian missile attacks.
Rubio made the comments to reporters on Monday during a visit to Uzbekistan. Ukraine depends on US intelligence delivered through Starshield, a military version of the Starlink satellite service, to track fast ballistic missiles that Russia has launched in waves at its cities.
Rubio says the focus should be on ending the war
Rubio said flatly that there had been no interruption. He added that Zelenskyy should concentrate on bringing the conflict to an end, and that this was also the aim of the United States.
Asked about a possible meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the war, which has lasted more than four years, Rubio said talks had been discussed. He said he did not know whether such a meeting had been finalised, but insisted the president had been clear that he wants fighting in Ukraine and Russia to stop.
Zelenskyy cites interrupted intelligence and sanctions moves
Rubio’s comments came after Ukrainian officials said some Russian strikes had taken place without any warning. Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press programme on Sunday, Zelenskyy said intelligence sharing had been cut off for a time before it was restored.
“We are very thankful for this,” he said. “Now it works.”
Zelenskyy also argued that other recent US decisions would damage his country. He pointed to a deal to import Russian diesel and a plan to waive sanctions on Russia, which were due to take effect this week. He warned that Ukraine could not hold out if the United States openly sided with Moscow.
Trump defends sanctions waiver and criticises Zelenskyy
On Sunday, Trump defended his decision to suspend some sanctions on Russia. He said he was working to negotiate peace between the two countries and did not want to take steps that would push Russia away from the negotiating table.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump also accused Zelenskyy of not wanting to end the conflict. He said Zelenskyy “doesn’t care” about ending the war and suggested that the Ukrainian leader did not want peace, despite the large sums Europe has provided.
Trump has temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing large volumes to reach global markets in an effort to bring down fuel prices. He again accused Ukraine of deliberately striking Russian refineries in an attempt to damage his Republican Party before the November 3 midterm elections.
Polling suggests the party is likely to lose those elections, with many voters unhappy about fuel costs. Those prices have climbed since the United States and Israel launched a war on Iran in late February.
Bessent rejects claim linked to SpaceX satellites
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also appeared on Meet the Press after Zelenskyy’s interview aired. He said the Ukrainian president “presents a false binary this morning that Ukraine must win”. He added: “The war must end, and that will be with some kind of a negotiated settlement.”
Bessent also dismissed the claim that the US government was responsible for slowing SpaceX satellite communications. He said Trump and Rubio had categorically stated that nobody in the administration had done this, and called the accusation “very reckless” on Zelenskyy’s part.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram on Monday that a Russian missile attack overnight had killed a woman and wounded several people in the capital. According to the State Emergency Service, the strike also damaged a metro station, a medical facility, an educational institution and a nonresidential building.
