Marco Rubio denies there was any pause in US intelligence sharing with Ukraine
Meanwhile, Ukraine is pushing ahead with plans to develop European alternatives to US-made air defence systems and Starlink satellite communications, with discussions already under way.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied on Monday that there had been any suspension of intelligence sharing with Ukraine and called on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to "focus" on ending the war with Russia.
"There has been no pause," Rubio told reporters when asked about Ukraine's claims that the United States had briefly halted the sending of intelligence to help counter Russia's missile attacks.
The Ukrainian leader told US media on Sunday that the move had been "deblocked by the American side" after a three-day suspension.
Rubio, who is in Uzbekistan for talks with Central Asian officials, said that President Donald Trump wanted Zelenskyy and Russia's President Vladimir Putin to concentrate on ending the Russian invasion, now into its fifth year.
"What he (Zelenskyy) should be focused on and what we want to be focused on is bringing an end to this war," Rubio said.
"That's what we want everybody to be focused on. That's what we want the Russians to be focused on. That's what we should be focused on. That's what the president has made a priority: is trying to bring a war and an end to this war," the top US diplomat said.
Trump, who says he has made a deal with Russia to secure fuel exports in exchange for the easing of sanctions, has made renewed attacks on Zelenskyy in recent days over the war.
The US leader wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday that he was making "great progress" in negotiating peace between Russia and Ukraine, but claimed: "Zelenskyyy doesn't care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him...he doesn't want to end this war and probably never did."
"Zelenskyyy is using Diesel Refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States," Trump said.
Resumed intelligence sharing
But Zelenskyy said he was "thankful" that the United States has resumed intelligence sharing after a pause had left his country more vulnerable to Russian missile strikes.
"It was blocked for some period of time. And then it was deblocked by the American side. We are very thankful for this. Now it works," he told NBC's "Meet the Press" in an interview published on Sunday.
"Only (the) United States has this unique intelligence to tell our side when Russia uses ballistic missiles. And we didn't get it during ballistic attacks during three days," Zelensky added.
In the past week, Kyiv also reported restrictions to satellite services operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, which Ukraine relies on for battlefield communications, shortly after US President Donald Trump criticised Ukraine and urged it to stop targeting Russian oil refineries.
Zelenskyy said he believed "it was a message from American government to limit the speed. And technically, SpaceX did it."
The Trump administration has denied it was behind any slowdown and Zelensky's remark drew a quick rebuke from a top US official.
"President (Donald) Trump and Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio have categorically said that no one in the Trump administration did that. And I think it is very reckless for President Zelenskyy to make such a charge," Bessent told NBC in a separate interview aired on the same show Sunday.
Bessent did not provide an alternative explanation.
Musk, who has himself been critical of Zelenskyy and has called on him "to go," said on Wednesday that any disruptions reported by Ukraine in using the Starshield satellite communications system would be the responsibility of the US government.
European alternatives
Meanwhile, Ukraine is pushing ahead with plans to develop European alternatives to US-made air defence systems and Starlink satellite communications, with discussions under way and Kyiv expecting progress considerably sooner than sceptics anticipate, a senior Ukrainian presidential official told Euronews last week.
In an exclusive interview with Euronews’ Europe Today programme, Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, said Ukraine was seeking to reduce its reliance on American capabilities as uncertainty over Washington's support places growing pressure on Europe to strengthen its own defences.
"We are, of course, relying on the unique capabilities provided by the United States, whether air defence systems or Starlink," Zhovkva said.
"But Ukraine has already begun substantive discussions with European countries about a European air defence system."
