Trump may completely halt the supply of Patriot missiles to Ukraine – NATO warns of the risks
Kyiv • UNN
NATO fears a complete halt to U.S. arms deliveries to Ukraine due to tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump. Patriot deliveries are already being delayed.
NATO representatives warned Ukrainian officials about the risk of a complete halt to the supply of U.S. weapons, including missiles for Patriot systems, due to deteriorating relations between Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump. Bloomberg reports this, citing informed sources, writes UNN.
Details
According to the publication, the Alliance's leadership fears that relations between Kyiv and Washington could deteriorate completely. NATO representatives are urging the Ukrainian side to reduce tensions in its communication with the Trump administration in order to avoid further restrictions on military aid.
The PURL program, under which European countries purchase U.S. weapons for Ukraine, is a particular concern. The United States currently supplies only about 12 Patriot interceptor missiles per month, four times fewer than during Joe Biden's presidency.
U.S. delaying deliveries of missiles already paid for by European allies
Zelenskyy previously stated that U.S. missiles were arriving irregularly, despite European partners having already paid for the corresponding deliveries. In addition, according to him, the Pentagon failed several times to warn Ukraine about Russian missile attacks.
The situation is complicated by limited stocks of U.S. interceptors. According to Mark Cancian, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the United States has approximately 800 Patriot missiles. At the same time, the Pentagon seeks to preserve reserves for operations in the Middle East and a potential conflict with China.
As The Washington Post previously reported, Washington is also delaying approval of the transfer of Patriot missiles to Ukraine from European countries. According to the publication's sources, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has neither approved nor rejected the relevant requests, leaving them without a final decision.