US Urges Focus on Peace as Trump Criticises Zelensky
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied claims that Washington temporarily suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine, insisting that there has been no pause in the arrangement. Speaking to reporters on Monday while visiting Uzbekistan for talks with Central Asian officials, Rubio responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s claim that the United States had halted intelligence support for three days before restoring it. Zelensky had told US media on Sunday that the suspension had been “deblocked by the American side”. Rubio, however, urged the Ukrainian leader to concentrate on ending the war with Russia, which has entered its fifth year, saying President Donald Trump had made securing an end to the conflict a priority.
Trump has renewed his criticism of Zelensky in recent days, accusing him of being unwilling to end the war despite financial support from European countries. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump claimed he was making “great progress” in negotiations to secure peace between Russia and Ukraine, but alleged that Zelensky did not want the conflict to end. Trump also accused Ukraine of targeting Russian diesel refineries, saying the attacks were affecting global diesel markets, including in the United States. The latest comments come amid continuing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and disagreements over the approach to military support and negotiations.
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