Zelenskyy says US pressures Ukraine to capitulate and delays Patriot missile deliveries
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the US was pressuring Ukraine to capitulate to Russia. In a Bloomberg interview on 18 October, he also said Washington was supplying only 12 Patriot interceptors a month, about a quarter of the rate under Joe Biden.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused US President Donald Trump of pressuring Ukraine to capitulate to Russia and delaying deliveries of interceptor missiles for Patriot air defence systems.
In an interview with Bloomberg on 18 October, Zelenskyy said the US had authorised some supplies but not the rest. He said the delay was not a technical issue.
Patriot deliveries have fallen
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had paid for the weapons, including anti-ballistic missiles, through the PURL programme. The programme allows NATO allies to finance purchases of US-made weapons for Ukraine.
The US is currently supplying Ukraine with 12 Patriot interceptors per month, according to Zelenskyy—about a quarter of the number delivered under Joe Biden. Under Trump, Ukraine buys the missiles, while Biden provided them free of charge as military aid.
Zelenskyy said the situation appeared to reflect steps aimed at persuading Ukraine to capitulate. He added that he was not saying this was the goal of US partners and did not want to believe they sought to end the war at Ukraine’s expense.
The president said relations with the US could improve after the US midterm elections, scheduled for 3 November.
What we know
- Zelenskyy accused the Trump administration of pressuring Ukraine to capitulate to Russia.
- The US is supplying Ukraine with 12 Patriot interceptors a month, he said.
- Ukraine paid for the weapons through PURL, but some deliveries have not been authorised.
- Biden provided Patriot missiles free of charge, while Ukraine now buys them.
Trust: Single source
- The story relies on one publisher. A second independent confirmation has not been established from the cited sources.
- Sources: Українська правда.
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