Zelensky says that Trump is intentionally withholding the missiles he needs to defend himself against Russian attacks

BarcelonaThe United States is withholding the shipment to Ukraine of a major batch of Patriot interceptor missiles, as denounced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has stated that "there are political agreements that have not been implemented at an operational level." A high-ranking Ukrainian official and two military officials from the country, who spoke on condition of anonymity to the portal Kyiv Independent, assert that the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, has the sales contracts for Patriot missiles, but is not signing them. These weapons are the only defense Ukraine has to intercept the ballistic missiles that Russia launches against its territory and which have as their main target critical infrastructure, such as energy facilities. The same sources assure that Kyiv has already paid for this weaponry, and that the delay comes when Moscow's attacks are daily. All this adds to the latest crisis in relations between Ukraine and the Trump administration, marked by the US president's criticisms of Kyiv's attacks against Russian oil refineries.

Ukraine has also suffered interruptions in intelligence information that allows it to issue alerts regarding the arrival of Russian missiles, which give the population a few minutes to seek shelter. United States officials have attributed these interruptions, which have already occurred several times in the past, to "adverse weather conditions," while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has alleged a computer glitch. At the same time, Kyiv has also suffered power drops or interruptions in the operation of the Starshield and Starlink satellite internet systems with which its armed forces operate and which are essential for drone operations. The Ukrainians claim that these restrictions began after Donald Trump announced the purchase of 300,000 tons of Russian diesel to mitigate rising prices in the United States before the November 3rd midterm elections, and demanded that Ukraine stop its attacks against Russian refineries.

Ukraine obtains Patriot interceptor missiles through various channels. One of the main mechanisms is NATO's Priority Ukrainian Requirements List (PURL), through which Kyiv's allies finance the purchase of weaponry from the United States. The Atlantic Alliance ensures that deliveries through this mechanism continue, but, according to Zelensky, the US is only delivering 12 missiles each month to Ukraine, and Kyiv has to contact European governments directly so they sell it those they have in stock. Ukraine does not reveal the reserves it has, for security reasons.

Norway, mediator country

Meanwhile, this Tuesday Zelensky has traveled to Oslo to discuss with several European leaders and the White House envoy, Steve Witkoff, a diplomatic proposal for the war in Ukraine, as reported by the Norwegian government. The meeting, organized by the governments of Norway and Finland, will attempt to "steer diplomatic efforts toward a more constructive path," noted Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre. As reported by a US official to the media Axios, the talks will include representatives from the E4 group countries (United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland), as well as officials from the European Union and NATO.

"We are maintaining a dialogue with the Ukrainians and with the Americans, we are in contact with our European partners and allies, but I would say that all this has emerged just a few days ago," Støre declared to the Norwegian press. He pointed out that, in his view, it is necessary to take Trump's statements "seriously," but also to keep in mind that the United States is immersed in an election campaign ahead of the midterm elections. "I have the feeling that the American negotiators are looking for a solution that can offer security to Ukraine," stated the Norwegian Prime Minister, who at the same time admitted that at this moment there is "a certain distance".

After visiting Oslo, Trump's envoy will travel to Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin. The negotiations, which now have accumulated more than a year of impasse, will address security guarantees for Ukraine, its integration into Europe, and an economic framework for the postwar period, as well as the conditions for a lasting peace based on a new security architecture between Europe and Russia, according to Axios.