Former US Ambassador to NATO: Patriot delivery delay linked to possible conflict with Iran

Former US Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker suggested that the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of Patriot missiles to Ukraine because it is preparing for a possible resumption of the war with Iran after the US midterm elections. Earlier, Zelensky said Kyiv has been waiting for almost a month for approval of the delivery from the head of the Pentagon.

Aziz KarimovFirst published on tafs uz 29 October 2026 at 20:381 min read

The key facts

Kurt Volker linked the Patriot delivery delay to a possible US preparation for resuming the war against Iran after the midterm elections
Zelensky earlier said Kyiv has been waiting for almost a month for Pete Hegseth to sign the delivery authorization
Volker also called the delay a tactic of Washington's pressure on Kyiv

Patriot delivery delay: a former ambassador's theory

Former US Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker in a comment to Euronews suggested a reason for the delay in delivering American Patriot missiles to Ukraine. According to him, the Pentagon may be preparing for a resumption of the war against Iran after the US midterm elections and therefore does not know how many Patriot missiles it will need for itself.

Context: Kyiv's wait and the pressure theory

The delivery delay has become a topic of public discussion: earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv has been waiting for almost a month for US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to sign the authorization for the missile delivery. Volker himself, in addition to the Iran theory, pointed to another possible motive: in his view, the delivery delay is a tactic Washington is using to pressure Ukraine. Both claims are assessments by the former ambassador, not confirmed information about the Pentagon's plans; the publication offers no official explanation for the delay.