Trump administration is holding back supply of missiles for Patriot to Ukraine - WP
Kyiv • UNN
According to WP, Pete Hegseth has not taken steps to approve the transfer of Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine. The United States says intelligence sharing is continuing.
The Trump administration has not approved the transfer to Ukraine of interceptor missiles needed to defend the country from Russian missile and drone attacks, officials said on October 19. The Washington Post reports this, UNN writes.
Details
"At least some of the Patriot interceptor missile transfers are coming from countries friendly to Ukraine, which requires Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's approval of the transfer," a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the situation said. The United States retains control because the weapons are manufactured by it and supplied abroad under an agreement stipulating that transfers to other countries require U.S. approval.
Officials said that "Hegseth has not formally rejected the transfers, but he also has not taken the necessary steps to approve them." "Hegseth has continued to approve certain U.S. assistance to Ukraine," they said.
In recent days, Trump has repeatedly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the publication writes. Trump is increasingly blaming Zelenskyy for his problems with high energy prices and worsening political prospects ahead of the midterm elections. Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries for months, one of its main strategies for putting pressure on the Kremlin, the publication writes.
The U.S. war with Iran, the publication notes, has placed enormous pressure on global stocks of Patriot interceptor missiles, and Ukraine has begun facing a shortage. The United States tends to send batches of interceptor missiles in small consignments, often several times, as they are produced, the publication indicates.
Ukraine and its partners are also searching worldwide for other stockpiles, urging countries to offer any interceptors they can afford.
A White House official who wished to remain anonymous to discuss sensitive diplomacy said that the United States "continues to play a constructive role in negotiations with both sides in pursuit of ending the war."
At the same time, Ukraine has experienced repeated disruptions to its early-warning systems for ballistic missile attacks, which rely on U.S. intelligence.
Asked whether the United States was still sharing intelligence with Ukraine, Trump replied on October 19: "We are sharing intelligence. We share a lot. We have given Ukraine a lot. You know what, we have given Ukraine a lot. They have given us nothing."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted on October 19 that there had been "no pause whatsoever" in the sharing of U.S. intelligence with Ukraine.
Asked about Ukraine's claims that it had received no early warnings of recent attacks, Rubio said that "a couple of nights ago" there had been a "software issue" that was being investigated by the U.S. European Command.
In his statement, a senior Pentagon official said that "there have been no changes in the War Department's policy regarding intelligence sharing or any capabilities that we allow Europeans to provide to Ukraine."
An official who wished to remain anonymous to discuss sensitive diplomatic matters said that the program under which NATO allies supply Ukraine with U.S.-made weapons (PURL) "continues unchanged."
"Relations between Trump and Zelenskyy have been strained for years. But this month they deteriorated significantly during talks in Miami between representatives of the two governments, when Ukrainian officials rejected the White House's efforts to force them to stop strikes on Russian energy targets, including diesel refineries," U.S. and Ukrainian officials said.
During that meeting, Trump announced that the United States had reached an agreement with the Kremlin that lifted U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel fuel exports.
Oil analysts expressed doubt that the deal would have a significant impact on diesel prices in the United States. They noted that although Ukrainian strikes contributed to the rise in the global price of diesel fuel, a larger factor driving prices higher was the U.S. war with Iran and disruptions to global oil supplies caused by Iran's efforts to block the Strait of Hormuz.
"However, the deal gave Trump a direct interest in ensuring that Ukraine did not strike Russian oil refineries, fueling tensions between Kyiv and Washington and, in effect, bringing the Trump administration partly closer to Putin," the publication said.
"Zelenskyy's public statements that Trump was choosing the other side and that the White House was not on the right \"side of history\" heightened tensions," U.S. officials said.
On Monday, Zelenskyy spoke to U.S. senators during a group telephone call, during which he discussed the challenges facing Kyiv amid a sharp deterioration in relations with Trump.
Several prominent Republicans are increasingly criticizing Trump's recent concessions to Russia, especially his decision on Friday to lift the sanctions established by a bipartisan bill passed in honor of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Republican supporter of Ukraine.