Rubio from Samarkand: “There was no pause” in intelligence for Ukraine – “Zelensky must focus on ending the war”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied on Monday, October 19 that the United States stopped for three days giving Ukraine intelligence on Russian missile attacks. “There was no pause,” he said, speaking in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where he is holding talks with Central Asian leaders, according to Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

Rubio also answered Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks about American pressure. “What he needs to focus on, and what we want to focus on, is ending this war,” he said. “That is what we want everyone to have in mind. That is what we want the Russians to have as well.” According to the US Secretary of State, President Donald Trump wants both Zelensky and Vladimir Putin to concentrate on ending a war that is entering its fifth year, and that is his priority.

Zelensky: the flow was blocked for three days

The statement comes one day after Zelensky announced that the US had resumed giving intelligence on Russian ballistic missiles, saying the flow had been blocked for three days and was “unblocked by the American side”, as we reported. The Ukrainian president has described the American pressure as an “attempt to force Ukraine into capitulation”.

On October 15 the Washington Post wrote that American officials had warned Kyiv that intelligence sharing would stop immediately if Ukraine continued to strike Russian refineries and petrochemical plants. US officials disputed that the flow was cut completely, but admitted that access to some sources was restricted.

Overnight into Monday, Russia struck Kyiv again with ballistic missiles. Ukrainian sources reported that, once more, there was no timely warning and that explosions were heard before the alarm sounded. On Sunday evening a Russian strike on the capital killed a 21-year-old woman.

Trump: “great progress”, but criticism of Zelensky

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump spoke of “great progress” towards a peace agreement. At the same time he claimed that Zelensky “does not want this war to end and probably never did”, and criticised the Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, saying they harm the global diesel market.

Washington is seeking an agreement with Moscow on fuel exports in exchange for easing sanctions, while Rubio has announced a 60-day period to examine lifting the sanctions on Russia.