Ukraine claims US missile holdup as Trump floats summit without Zelensky / Photo: Sergei SUPINSKY - AFP
Ukraine claims US missile holdup as Trump floats summit without Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the United States on Monday of deliberately delaying the delivery of interceptor missiles to his country, as tensions between Kyiv and Washington escalated over military aid and intelligence sharing.
Kyiv said it had no early warning of powerful Russian missile strikes, echoing similar claims made last week.
Speaking to US senators on Monday, Zelensky said "the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles" already paid for by European countries and that the shipment was waiting for US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's signature.
He also said several European countries were ready to transfer Patriot interceptor missiles from their own stockpiles but were still awaiting US approval.
"The missiles are ready, and they could already be in Ukraine," Zelensky said. "But unfortunately, there is still no approval."
The United States has denied making any changes to intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.
Trump has also denied ordering a reduction in speeds on the US government-owned and -controlled Starshield network after Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX developed it, said the order could only have come from the White House.
- Strained relations -
Relations have been strained between the two capitals since Trump partially lifted sanctions to strike a diesel-supply deal with Vladimir Putin and slammed Zelensky as a warmonger for Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.
On Monday, Trump defended the diesel deal while once more slamming Zelensky.
"Zelensky doesn't know what he's talking about," Trump said. "To be honest, I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine."
Trump also said he was ready to meet with Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China next month to discuss denuclearization, adding that the talks could also cover the Ukraine war — fueling fears in Kyiv that it was being sidelined.
Earlier in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "the topic of such a hypothetical has indeed been mentioned", when asked about a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday that Trump, Putin and Xi could meet.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said that such a meeting would "only encourage Putin to continue this war".
Meanwhile, Zelensky also spoke to Pope Leo XIV on Monday, according to the Vatican, days after the Catholic leader held a similar call with Putin.
The Vatican said the Pope had urged both sides to allow for the flow of aid into the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky and civilians to leave.
- No information on latest strikes -
Russia's latest strikes again hit Ukrainian energy facilities and infrastructure across the country, knocking out power to more than 500,000 people and forcing emergency repairs to the battered grid.
"Once again, there was no early warning from our partners," Zelensky said, as he catalogued the damage, deaths and injuries.
Six people, including three children, were killed in a strike near the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the authorities said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on a visit to Uzbekistan on Monday denied that intelligence-sharing had been withdrawn with Ukraine, backing Trump's call for Zelensky to focus on ending the conflict.
Talks to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II are deadlocked, with Russia refusing to give up its claim to Ukrainian territory and Ukraine steadfastly refusing attempts to force it to do so.
Trump had vowed a swift end to the war when he returned to office but since then has appeared to tilt toward Russia, including calling for Zelensky to be replaced.
V.Morandi--MJ
