Rubio says delays in US air defense shipments to Ukraine not deliberate
"I think the important takeaway for you is that there has not been some deliberate political directive to go out and harm Ukraine," Rubio said, acknowledging possible delays in interceptor shipments.
On October 20, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the possibility of a delay in a shipment of missile interceptors to Ukraine but denied it was a deliberate decision to harm Kyiv. He explained that every country in the world would desire such interceptors, which are currently highly sought after in the defense industry.
Rubio's comments came during a trip to India, where he addressed concerns over the delay in supplying Patriot missiles to Ukraine. These interceptors are crucial for Ukraine's defense against Russian ballistic missiles. The Kyiv Independent reported on October 19 that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was withholding supplies of Patriot missiles, which Ukraine depends on for missile interception, amid a deterioration in relations between the two nations.
Hegseth reportedly had the contracts for the missiles on his desk but was not signing them off. Rubio acknowledged that a batch of interceptors might have been delayed as the U.S. prioritized its strategic interests, but firmly stated that there was no deliberate political directive aimed at harming Ukraine. The shipment of Patriot interceptors has been scarce globally due to the U.S. and its allies depleting their stocks during the conflict with Iran.
Ukraine has been receiving limited amounts of Patriot missiles, funded by NATO allies through the PURL initiative and other channels. On October 20, Rubio held a 45-minute phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the recent tensions in U.S.-Ukraine relations. The rift intensified following the surprise announcement of a U.S.-Russia diesel deal on October 9.
Since then, Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump have engaged in harsh public criticism, with Trump alleging that Zelensky does not want to end the war and suggesting Zelensky should be replaced as Ukraine's leader. In response, Kyiv accused Washington of pressuring it to cease strikes against Russian refineries by threatening to cut off arms shipments and intelligence support.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
