Hegseth Has Not Signed Off on Allied-Paid Patriots for Ukraine, Officials Say
Ukraine's main defense against Russian ballistic missiles now waits on a Pentagon signature, with interceptors its allies already paid for held up in Washington.
Ukraine's main defense against Russian ballistic missiles now waits on a Pentagon signature, with interceptors its allies already paid for held up in Washington.
The Trump administration has not approved transfers of Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine, a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post on Oct. 19. At least some transfers come from countries friendly to Ukraine and need Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's approval, because the U.S. builds the missiles and keeps sign-off on onward transfers. By their account, Hegseth has neither rejected the transfers nor completed the approval steps, while still clearing some other aid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which missiles are being held up?
Patriot interceptors, per officials who spoke to The Washington Post, and AIM-9X missiles for the NASAMS air-defense system, according to Zelensky's call with U.S. senators.
Why does the U.S. defense secretary have to approve missiles other countries paid for?
The U.S. builds the Patriot interceptors and keeps sign-off on transfers to other countries, so allied handoffs to Ukraine need Pete Hegseth's approval, per The Washington Post.
Has the Pentagon rejected the transfers?
No. Officials told The Washington Post that Hegseth has neither rejected the transfers nor completed the approval steps. A senior Pentagon official said the allied weapons program "continues unaltered."
How many Patriot interceptors is Ukraine getting?
Zelensky told Bloomberg the U.S. delivers 12 a month, about a quarter of the rate under the Biden administration. Ukraine does not disclose its stocks.
What has Zelensky offered in return?
A 30-day halt to Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries in exchange for Patriot interceptors over the same period, he told senators, according to Axios. He said the U.S. envoys showed no openness.
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"Hegseth has the contracts for Patriot missiles on his desk. He is not signing off on them," a Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent, adding that allies had already paid. A U.S. government official called the Ukrainian claims "not true."
The hold also covers AIM-9X missiles for NASAMS, Zelensky said on a call with a bipartisan group of senators led by Thom Tillis and Richard Blumenthal, according to a transcript Axios obtained. "We have almost no Patriot interceptors left from the U.S. partners," he warned. In a Bloomberg interview he put U.S. deliveries at 12 Patriot interceptors a month, about a quarter of the Biden-era rate.
Patriot is among Ukraine's most important defenses against ballistic missiles, which are particularly hard to intercept. Russia fired 16 of them at Ukraine in several waves overnight into Oct. 19, per Zelensky. Ukraine's air force said no warning came before the first wave hit Kyiv's power plants. Zelensky counted three missed U.S. early warnings in a week. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed to a "software problem" from "a couple of nights ago" that U.S. European Command is examining.
The program through which NATO allies supply U.S.-built weapons "continues unaltered," a senior Pentagon official insisted. Support through PURL, the NATO mechanism that funds those purchases, "continues to flow," including air defense, according to a NATO official.
On the same call, Zelensky described offering envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner a 30-day halt to Ukrainian refinery strikes in return for Patriot interceptors over that period. They showed no openness, he added. That trade, refinery pressure on Russia against missiles that are already paid for, goes into the next round of talks: Witkoff is due in Oslo this week, with Zelensky expected to attend, Reuters reported.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.