Zelensky says US intelligence sharing is back on

US Restores Early-Warning Intelligence to Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on October 21, 2026 that the United States had resumed sharing early-warning intelligence about Russian missile strikes. Kyiv had accused Washington in recent days of deliberately cutting off the data—a charge Secretary of State Marco Rubio called "scandalous."

Speaking to reporters in Oslo after meeting Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Zelensky said: "We know when ballistic missiles are coming. We can protect children, adults, civilians. We are grateful to the American side."

Results of the Oslo Meeting — and What Remains Open

BBC Ukraine correspondent Dan Johnson reported that the talks opened with a warm handshake and embrace, a first step toward repairing the relationship after ten days of intense friction. Zelensky came away with two concrete gains.

The first was the restoration of early-warning intelligence, giving Ukraine time to evacuate civilians and attempt interceptions when Russian missiles approach. The second was the lifting of speed restrictions on Starshield, the military-grade Starlink service whose throttling had significantly hampered Ukrainian drone operations and troop coordination over the past week. Zelensky said he had secured an agreement that full speeds would return within days.

Still unresolved is the supply of Patriot interceptor missiles. Zelensky raised the issue in Oslo but received no firm commitment. Johnson noted that "Ukraine does not yet see the United States as a reliable ally or an honest broker."

President Trump, speaking at the White House, kept up the pressure: "Zelensky has to want to end this war. The US has put in hundreds of billions of dollars and all we get back is expensive diesel. American taxpayers are tired."

Witkoff Carries Peace Proposal to Putin

After the Oslo meeting, Witkoff traveled to St. Petersburg to present a peace proposal to President Putin. Norway's prime minister expressed hope that the negotiations would lead to a three-way summit among the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, but Putin has so far shown no willingness to sit at the table with Zelensky.

BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg analyzed that "Putin's recent speeches have shown little sign of any readiness to compromise, and he appears intent on continuing the war." Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia would listen to Witkoff's proposals but would make no political concessions.

Topics discussed in Oslo reportedly included Ukraine's security guarantees, post-war reconstruction plans, territorial issues, sanctions, and Europe's security architecture, though details were not made public. Russia has reportedly received favorably the fact that Trump has been purchasing diesel from Russia at reduced rates and has waived certain sanctions.

The Iran War, Fuel Costs, and Angry Kansas Farmers

To offset oil-price spikes caused by the Iran war, Trump announced an $8 billion one-time payment to the agricultural sector. But BBC correspondent Katrina Perry's reporting from Kansas found farmer frustration running deep.

Eighty-eight percent of Kansas land is farmland, and farmers are being squeezed from multiple directions: rising fuel and fertilizer costs, volatile grain and beef prices, and tariff-restricted market access. Farmer Nick Lewandowski said a single fuel pump for his combine now costs $950—hundreds of dollars more than before, even after accounting for tariff relief. "A part that fits in your hand is nearly $1,000," he said.

Kansas has not sent a Democrat to the US Senate since 1932 and has backed the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1964. Yet multiple polls now call this year's Senate race a toss-up, and Trump held his first Kansas rally since 2018. Early voting has already begun; 25,000 ballots had been cast as of two weeks before Election Day. Perry noted that Kansas allows split-ticket voting, the sitting governor is a Democrat, and turnout will be decisive.