OMM Newsroom
The Trump administration has delayed approval for the transfer of “Patriot” air-defence interceptor missiles Ukraine needs to defend against Russian missile and drone attacks, Anadolu Agency reported, citing a Washington Post report based on US and other officials familiar with the matter.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not formally rejected the proposed transfers, but has yet to complete the required steps to authorize them, the report said. The delay comes amid renewed tensions between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and a broader deterioration in relations between Washington and Kyiv.
At least some of the interceptor missiles are to be transferred by countries friendly to Ukraine. Their handover requires Hegseth’s approval, according to a US official and three other people familiar with the situation cited by the Washington Post.
A Ukrainian official told the newspaper last week that Ukraine had only “a couple” of “Patriot” interceptor missiles remaining in its stockpile, raising concerns about ammunition supplies for the country’s air-defence systems.
Hegseth has continued to approve some US assistance to Ukraine, the report noted, indicating that the delayed missile transfers do not necessarily mean American support has been halted entirely.
The reported delay comes as relations between Trump and Zelenskyy have again come under strain. Trump has repeatedly criticized the Ukrainian president in recent days, according to the report.
