Trump Is Delaying the Delivery of Patriot Missiles to Ukraine – WP
The U.S. president's administration has not approved the transfer of the necessary Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth did not officially reject the requests, but he did not take the necessary steps to approve them.
At the same time, the U.S. Secretary of Defense continues to approve certain other forms of aid for Kyiv, according to The Washington Post.
What is known about the delay in aid?
The publication notes that some of the interceptor missiles come from third countries. Official authorization from the U.S. Department of Defense is required to ship the weapons, according to a U.S. official and three informed sources.
The complexity of the situation stems from the fact that the interceptor missiles are manufactured directly in the U.S. and exported abroad under special agreements. Under these agreements, the transfer of equipment or ammunition to other countries requires mandatory approval from Washington.
The WP’s sources said that Hegseth has not officially rejected the transfer of interceptor missiles to Kyiv. At the same time, the Pentagon chief has not taken the necessary steps to approve it.
It should be noted that on Monday, October 19, the President of Ukraine held an online conversation with senators from both parties and urged them to put pressure on Donald Trump to resume arms deliveries and data sharing. Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the restrictions on the Starlink and Starshield satellite systems, the cessation of information sharing regarding Russian ballistic missile launches, and the lack of approval for the transfer of missiles for the Patriot system.