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The United States has yet to authorize the transfer of Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine from allied countries, a delay Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says reflects a political decision to slow American support as relations between Kyiv and Washington deteriorate.
“The Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles that other countries have purchased for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy told a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on October 19, according to The Associated Press.
He said Ukraine had almost exhausted its stockpile of American-made interceptors, which it relies on to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks.
The Washington Post reported the next day, citing a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously, that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had neither formally rejected the transfers nor completed the required approval steps.
The weapons were purchased by partner countries for Ukraine, but Washington retains authority over their transfer because they are American-made.
The delay comes amid a series of disputes that have intensified since October 9, when President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to resume Russian diesel supplies to international markets while easing U.S. sanctions on the exports.
The announcement came as Trump’s envoys were meeting Ukrainian officials in Miami to discuss a proposal to end the war, following disagreements over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Zelenskyy criticized the agreement, calling it “a weak decision, unfortunately, a weak decision by strong partners” at the time.
Trump has blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries in part for high fuel prices and has pressed Kyiv to halt them, while Zelenskyy has argued that Ukraine cannot be expected to restrain its attacks as Russia continues striking Ukrainian infrastructure.
Last week, restrictions were imposed on the Ukrainian military’s access to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communications service. Ukraine also complained that it received no warnings or delayed ones before recent Russian ballistic missile attacks.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Uzbekistan on October 19 that there had been no pause in U.S. intelligence sharing. He said U.S. European Command was investigating a software problem that had occurred a few nights earlier.
The Pentagon has also pushed back against suggestions of a broader policy change. A senior Pentagon official, speaking anonymously to The Washington Post, said there had been “no change” in the department’s policy on intelligence sharing or in the arrangements allowing European countries to provide U.S.-built weapons to Ukraine.
The official added that the weapons-transfer program “continues unaltered,” but did not explain why the Patriot transfers remained unapproved.
Zelenskyy has continued to challenge Washington’s approach, arguing that restrictions on military support, along with sanctions relief for Moscow, undermine Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. He even told U.S. lawmakers that he believed “some political decision has been made to slow down … support for us.”
The dispute is expected to figure in Zelenskyy’s talks with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on October 20. Reuters reported that the meeting comes as the Ukrainian leader seeks to repair relations with Washington while pressing for continued military assistance and reliable intelligence support. However, given the growing pressure from the Trump administration, Kyiv will likely not be able to avoid making concessions this time.
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