WP: Hegseth Delays Approval of New Patriot Deliveries for Ukraine
The administration of US President Donald Trump is delaying approval of interceptor missile deliveries for Ukrainian Patriot systems. Some of the ammunition is ready to be transferred by partner countries that have already paid for the procurements, but Washington's permission is required for their delivery to Ukraine.
The Washington Post and The Kyiv Independent report this, citing American and Ukrainian officials familiar with the situation.
According to sources, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not yet completed the approval procedure for the transfer of a significant batch of Patriot missiles. Since these munitions are manufactured in the United States, their further export from allied countries requires American approval.
At the same time, Hegseth has not officially refused to transfer the missiles, but has not signed the necessary documents either. As The Kyiv Independent sources note, this concerns in particular weaponry that has already been financed by Ukraine's partners.
In Kyiv, there are fears that the delay is political in nature. Ukrainian officials assume that Washington may use the missile supplies as a tool of pressure on Ukraine amid deteriorating relations between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Meanwhile, the American side denies accusations of deliberately withholding aid. The Pentagon stated that the policy regarding the transfer of weapons to Ukraine through European partners has not changed. According to The Washington Post, the American defense department continues to approve certain types of military aid.
The delay comes amid an acute shortage of missiles for Patriot. These systems remain one of the main means of protecting Ukrainian cities and energy facilities from Russian ballistic missiles.
The problem has worsened due to the high rate of interceptor use during hostilities in the Middle East. Demand for American missiles far exceeds the ability to quickly replenish stocks, so Ukraine and its European partners are trying to find additional ammunition in other countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly reported the delay in Patriot missile supplies in an interview with Bloomberg on October 18. According to him, Kyiv and European partners have already paid for the ammunition through the PURL program, but Washington has approved the transfer of only part of it. The president stressed that the delay has no technical reasons.
Zelenskyy also reported that Ukraine currently receives only 12 Patriot interceptor missiles per month from the US – about a quarter of the supply volume under Joe Biden's administration.
The situation unfolds against the backdrop of disputes between Kyiv and Washington over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. The Trump administration demands a stop to these attacks, linking them to rising fuel prices, while Ukraine insists on the need to weaken Russia's military-economic potential.
However, there is currently no documentary evidence that the dispute over Russian refineries is the reason for the delay of Patriot missiles.
It is currently unknown when the American defense department will complete the necessary approvals and in what volumes Ukraine will be able to receive additional interceptors.
Based on materials from: The Washington Post, Bloomberg, The Kyiv Independent
