NATO fears Trump will not supply interceptors to Ukraine before US elections – Euronews
NATO allies hold a pessimistic view regarding the likelihood of Ukraine receiving urgently needed Patriot interceptor missiles ahead of next week's US midterm congressional elections.
Source: Euronews, citing sources in NATO, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda
Details: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that he is still awaiting approval from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth for the delivery of additional interceptors, while sources within NATO note that the situation remains "unpredictable". Allies lack a clear understanding of whether these missiles will be supplied and when they might reach Ukraine.
This comes amid suspicions that US President Donald Trump is using military assistance to put pressure on Kyiv in order to compel it to make concessions in negotiations with Russia.
When asked if there were any signs that the interceptors would arrive in Ukraine soon, one NATO source replied that the situation remained unclear.
"It's so unpredictable," the Euronews source noted.
"Trump is using as much leverage as he has over Ukraine ahead of the midterms," the source added.
The source suggested that the US president was also trying to push Kyiv into concluding a peace agreement with Russia that would entail territorial concessions.
Two unnamed sources told the publication that Washington was disappointed by the lack of progress in ending the war and was seeking to bring it to a close as quickly as possible.
One source described the war as a "stone in the boot" for Washington, while noting that the US recognised the need to maintain relations with its NATO allies, particularly in the context of the war in Iran.
Against the backdrop of delays in supplying air defence systems to Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on allies to bilaterally hand over their own stockpiles, given Kyiv's urgent needs.
According to sources in the Alliance, Greece and Spain possess substantial reserves of technically less advanced PAC-2 missiles. However, neither Athens nor Madrid has heeded Rutte's call to hand over these interceptors to Ukraine.
This uncertainty arises as Ukrainian air defences are struggling to cope with Russian attacks, while US interceptor stockpiles face mounting strain due to the war with Iran.
Background:
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that this year Ukraine has been receiving an average of only 12 missiles for Patriot systems per month.
- The Ukrainian president also stressed the need to unblock the deliveries of Patriot interceptors that have already been agreed upon by European partners.
- Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara urged the E5 format countries – Germany, the UK, France, Poland and Italy – to consider supplying 10% of their stockpiles of interceptor missiles for Patriot and IRIS-T systems to Ukraine in exchange for future deliveries expected by Kyiv.
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