The Trump administration is blocking the transfer of Patriot air defence missiles to Ukraine, which means Kyiv is without one of its most important weapons to combat Russian missiles and drones, The Washington Post reported Monday.
The transfer of the missiles is contingent upon US approval as they are manufactured in the US, provided by the countries providing aid to Ukraine. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has not authorised or denied the transfer of the missiles, said the newspaper.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused the Pentagon of holding back missiles that European countries have already paid for through a military assistance programme.
“The missiles are prepared, and they could already be in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said, Agence France-Presse reported.
Zelenskyy said one shipment was waiting for Hegseth’s approval and blamed political interests for the hold-up. He added he would halt all strikes on Russian oil refineries in Ukraine for 30 days if the US delivered the interceptors, Reuters reported.
The delay is happening amid Ukraine’s concerted effort to prepare for winter as it suffers a series of Russian strikes on cities and energy infrastructure. Patriot weapons are some of the few that can take down Russia’s state-of-the-art ballistic missiles.
Trump and Zelenskyy have fallen out in recent weeks with Trump criticising the Ukrainian leader and raising questions about whether he is willing to seek a peaceful end to the war.
Washington says these larger efforts to assist in ending the conflict are still underway.
