Is Ukraine a US ally? Treasury Secretary Bessent dodges direct answer three times on NBC
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was asked three times on NBC whether Washington considers Ukraine an ally. He listed American assistance to Kyiv, but never answered directly. On the reporter's third attempt, the secretary said: "I'm not the Secretary of State. I'm not the President."
The unusual exchange occurred on October 18 on the program Meet the Press on NBC News. The interview took place against the backdrop of disagreements between Kyiv and Washington over restrictions on Starlink and Starshield satellite communications, as well as the temporary halt in sharing US intelligence with Ukraine.
Asked three times about Ukraine—but no direct answer
Program host Kristen Welker asked whether the Donald Trump administration considers Ukraine an ally of the United States.
Instead of a direct answer, Bessent listed the forms of support Washington continues to provide to Kyiv.
When the journalist repeated the question, the secretary said that the US does for Ukraine what it usually does for allies.
According to Bessent, American assistance includes three main areas:
- Providing intelligence information.
- Support for Starlink satellite communications.
- Supplies of American weapons through purchases by European NATO countries.
The secretary emphasized that Russia does not receive similar support.
However, the host again asked for clarification on whether Washington considers Ukraine a genuine ally.
To the third question, Bessent answered: "I'm not the Secretary of State. I'm not the President."
Thus, the head of the US Treasury confirmed continued cooperation with Kyiv, but avoided a definitive characterization of the two countries' relationship.
Bessent responds sharply to Zelensky regarding Starlink
In the same interview, the Treasury Secretary commented on Volodymyr Zelensky's statements about restrictions on satellite communications used by the Ukrainian military.
Earlier, the Ukrainian president told NBC News that the deterioration in the performance of Starlink and Starshield networks could be linked to decisions by the American administration. According to him, the restrictions made certain military tasks more difficult.
Bessent rejected the accusations against Washington.
As reported by European Pravda, the secretary called Zelensky's statements extremely irresponsible, citing Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who denied the administration's involvement in the restrictions.
When asked why the satellite network's performance worsened, Bessent admitted that he did not have that information.
At the same time, he urged the Ukrainian president to be more careful with public accusations.
The reasons for the restrictions remain a subject of disagreement. Starlink is a satellite communication system by SpaceX, while Starshield includes specialized solutions for government and military customers. They should not be considered fully interchangeable services.
Ukraine again receives American intelligence
Another topic of the NBC interview was the temporary halt in sharing information about Russian ballistic missiles with Kyiv.
Zelensky said that Ukraine did not receive US intelligence for three days during Russian missile attacks.
According to him, the United States has unique capabilities to warn Ukrainian forces in a timely manner about Russia's use of ballistic missiles.
The Ukrainian president confirmed the resumption of information exchange and thanked the American side for restoring cooperation.
Does Bessent's answer signal a change in US stance?
In itself, the Treasury Secretary's refusal to directly call Ukraine an ally does not mean that Washington has officially changed its relations with Kyiv.
Ukraine is not a member of NATO and does not benefit from the collective defense guarantees provided to alliance members. However, the United States continues to cooperate with Ukraine on security matters, including intelligence support and weapons supplies.
It is noteworthy that Bessent did not deny the fact of such cooperation. On the contrary, he used American assistance as an argument that Washington acts toward Ukraine as an ally.
But on the direct question of whether the Trump administration recognizes that status, the senior official did not answer.
Based on materials from: NBC News — interview with Scott Bessent on Meet the Press, October 18, 2026, European Pravda — Bessent's statements about Starlink, The Kyiv Independent — resumption of sharing intelligence with Ukraine.