Zelensky accuses Pentagon of delaying paid-for Patriot missiles
Ukraine's president said European-funded Patriot interceptors are ready but awaiting US approval, as Kyiv also reported gaps in American early-warning intelligence.
President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Pentagon of delaying delivery of missiles already paid for by European allies, telling a virtual meeting of bipartisan US lawmakers on Monday that the interceptors were ready but still lacked approval from Washington, the Kyiv Post reported.
"The missiles are ready, and they could already be in Ukraine," Zelensky said, according to the Kyiv Post. He said several European countries were prepared to transfer Patriot interceptors from their own stockpiles, but the United States had not yet approved the transfers.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not formally rejected the Patriot shipments requested by Ukraine but has not completed the steps needed to approve them, sources told the Wall Street Journal, according to Habertürk. Ukrinform and Hromadske separately reported that Hegseth was delaying approval of the missile transfers without rejecting them outright. The virtual meeting with lawmakers was organised by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and Republican Senator Thom Tillis, the Kyiv Post reported.
Zelensky also said Ukraine had not received US advance warning before recent Russian missile strikes on energy infrastructure in the Kyiv region, which cut electricity to more than 500,000 people, according to the Kyiv Post. He said Ukraine went without a US early-warning alert on 12, 13 and 19 October, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported, and that access to Starlink and Starshield satellite systems had been partly restricted.
The United States has denied changing its intelligence-sharing arrangements with Ukraine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attributed the 19 October warning gap to a technical fault in Ukraine's own early-warning system, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported.
The dispute follows weeks of tension between Kyiv and Washington over military aid, Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and US President Donald Trump's approach to Moscow, the Kyiv Post reported.
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What we know
- Zelensky said Patriot missiles already paid for by European allies are ready to be sent to Ukraine but lack US approval, he told US lawmakers on Monday.
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not rejected the transfers but has not completed approval steps, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
- Zelensky said Ukraine went without US early-warning alerts ahead of Russian strikes on 12, 13 and 19 October, and that Starlink and Starshield access had been partly restricted.
- The US has denied changing intelligence-sharing arrangements; Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed the 19 October gap on a technical fault in Ukraine's own system.
Not yet confirmed
- Habertürk reported that the US has not approved the Patriot shipment to Kyiv; this has not been independently confirmed by name of US officials.
Why it matters for Europe
Patriot interceptors are central to Ukraine's defence against Russian , and a delay in approving transfers from European stockpiles would leave Ukrainian cities more exposed over the winter heating season. Gaps in US early-warning intelligence, which Ukraine has relied on to alert civilians and air defences before Russian strikes, would compound that risk regardless of how many interceptors are eventually delivered.
Sources
Reported by 12 reports from 9 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Adnkronos: Ucraina, Zelensky: "Usa ritardano consegna Patriot già pagati, stop attacchi a raffinerie russe se ce li danno"
- Meduza: Zelensky accuses US of deliberately delaying Patriot missile deliveries
- Kyiv Post: Zelensky Accuses US of Delaying Patriot Missiles as Tensions With Trump Grow
- France 24: Zelensky accuses US of delaying missile deliveries as tensions rise
- Kyiv Post: Zelensky Accuses US of Delaying Patriot Missiles as Tensions With Trump Grow
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What is Zelensky accusing the US of delaying?
- Patriot air defence missiles that European allies have already paid for and are ready to send to Ukraine, he told US lawmakers, saying only US approval is missing.
- Who is blocking the approval, according to reports?
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not completed the steps needed to approve the transfers, though he has not formally rejected them, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
- What else did Zelensky say was going wrong?
- He said Ukraine received no US early-warning alerts before Russian strikes on 12, 13 and 19 October, and that Starlink and Starshield satellite access had been partly restricted.
This article was written with AI assistance from 10 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.