Zelenskyy accuses US of delaying Patriot missiles already paid for by Europe
Ukraine's president told US senators that the Pentagon is holding back air-defence interceptors funded by European allies, as relations between Kyiv and the Trump administration deteriorate.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused the United States of delaying deliveries of air-defence missiles that Ukraine's European allies have already paid for. Speaking to US senators on Monday, he said that "the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles", adding that one shipment of interceptors was waiting only for the signature of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth before it could leave for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also said that European partners had agreed to hand over some of their own Patriot missiles, but that this transfer, too, was waiting for a green light from Washington. Separately, an adviser to the Ukrainian president told the BBC that Ukrainians were dying because the US was restricting intelligence sharing with Kyiv. The complaints come as Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine's energy system, with ballistic missiles striking the capital overnight from Sunday to Monday.
Relations between Kyiv and Washington have become increasingly strained. President Donald Trump has eased sanctions on Russia and has openly criticised Zelenskyy, calling for someone else to take his place. On Monday, Trump also said he would be willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. For Ukraine, which relies on Patriot systems to defend its cities against ballistic missiles, any hold-up in interceptor deliveries has immediate consequences. Source: DW (with AFP, AP; BBC, CNBC)