Zelensky Cites Month-Long US Missile Delay

Ukraine is waiting nearly a month for the United States to approve critical air defense missiles, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday. The delay occurs as Russia intensifies strikes on Ukrainian energy grids and civilian sites.

Zelensky stated on X/Twitter that his administration has been waiting for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to sign off on supplies for Patriot and NASAMS systems. The Ukrainian leader instructed his team to raise the issue with American counterparts again.

The US supplies these missiles through the PURL program, which allows NATO allies to purchase and transfer stockpiles. Zelensky has repeatedly urged Washington to accelerate deliveries before winter arrives.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged last week that a specific batch of interceptors may not have been delivered. He stated the delay was not driven by political motivations.

Tensions between Washington and Kyiv have risen following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a diesel deal with Russia. Trump also criticized Zelensky for Ukraine’s refusal to halt attacks on Russian refineries.

Ukraine has reported gaps in US intelligence sharing regarding Russian missile launches in recent weeks. Additionally, the military version of Starlink, known as Starshield, has been throttled for several days, disrupting air defense operations. Reuters reported that the order to limit Starshield access came from within the White House. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and US officials have each claimed publicly that the other party made the decision on these limitations.