Zelensky: Hegseth Withholds Patriot Interceptor Sign-Off for Month

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that his country had been waiting nearly a month for US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to authorize the transfer of Patriot and NASAMS missiles. Zelensky posted the update on X, noting that Russia had increased attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure during the delay. He stated that he directed his team to raise the issue with the American side again.

The United States supplies these missiles through the Presidential Request and Urgent Needs (PURL) program, which allows NATO allies to purchase weapons for Ukraine. Zelensky has repeatedly urged Washington to accelerate deliveries before winter arrives. Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that a specific batch of interceptors may not have been delivered. Rubio said the delay was not due to political reasons.

The holdup in missile approvals adds to existing friction between Kyiv and Washington. President Donald Trump recently announced a diesel deal with Russia. He also criticized Zelensky for Ukraine’s refusal to stop attacks on Russian refineries. These diplomatic moves have complicated the military support relationship between the two nations.

Ukraine has also reported operational issues in recent weeks. Kyiv said it experienced gaps in receiving intelligence from the US regarding Russian missile attacks. The country also reported that the military version of Starlink was throttled for several days. This disruption affected military operations and air defenses. Reuters reported that the order to throttle Starshield came from inside the White House. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and US officials have both stated publicly that decisions on Starlink and Starshield limitations could only have been made by the other party.