The key facts

  • Zelensky is ready to halt strikes on refineries for 30 days in exchange for Patriot missiles
  • According to him, the Pentagon is delaying deliveries under the PURL program; one package awaits Hegseth's signature
  • Kyiv three times did not receive US warnings about Russian ballistic strikes and also faced Starshield restrictions

Condition for halting strikes on refineries

On October 19, during an online conversation with US Senators Richard Blumenthal and Thom Tillis, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Kyiv is ready, as Donald Trump demands, to suspend strikes on Russian oil refineries for 30 days. The condition, according to him, is the provision by the US of interceptor missiles for Ukrainian Patriot air defense systems. His words at the meeting were published on social media; DW reported, citing the remarks.

Delivery delays

Zelensky claimed that the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles for which partners have allocated funds under the PURL program (the list of Ukraine's priority needs). One of the packages ready for shipment, according to him, awaits the signature of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He also noted that the question of transferring Patriot missiles to Ukraine from European countries' stockpiles depends on Washington's permission. “Our partners, including in Europe, are waiting for US permission to transfer Patriot interceptor missiles to us from their stockpiles. All of this points to some political decision to slow down aid to us,” the outlet quoted him as saying.

Claims about information sharing and communications

In addition to military aid, Zelensky raised issues of information sharing and communications. According to him, recently Kyiv three times did not receive warnings from the US about Russian missile strikes with ballistic missiles. He also stated that he had not received a full explanation regarding restrictions on the use of Starshield — the Starlink military communications package. He characterized these situations as “American decisions that are hard to explain in relations between friends.”