US President Donald Trump has refused to supply Ukraine with 300 interceptor missiles for the Patriot systems before winter, according to *The Atlantic*. The reason given is a reduction in US stocks following the war with Iran. During talks at the White House, Volodymyr Zelenskyy also asked for assistance in obtaining permission from SpaceX to use Starlink to strike Russian ballistic missile launchers.
Briefly about the main points
- Trump refused to supply Ukraine with 300 Patriot interceptors before winter.
- The reason given was a reduction in US stockpiles following the war with Iran.
- The CSIS estimates that the US has between 759 and 827 of these missiles remaining.
- Zelenskyy requested authorisation to use Starlink to strike launch sites in Russia.
- Musk declined the meeting, whilst Trump said he would discuss the proposal with him.
Talks at the White House
Pros. data *The Atlantic*, during a closed-door meeting at the White House Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented a plan designed to help Ukraine get through another winter of war. One of its points was the transfer of 300 interceptor missiles for Patriot, however Donald Trump He did not agree to that.
The publication, citing sources familiar with the course of the conversation, reports that the Ukrainian president proposed an alternative: to expand the use of the satellite network Starlink to transmit data and facilitate drone strikes against ballistic missile launchers on Russian territory.
Permission is required for this use. Elon Musk, according to *The Atlantic*, refused to meet with Zelenskyy. Trump said he would discuss the matter with the owner of SpaceX.
The number of interceptors has become a limiting factor
The transfer of the Patriot system is linked to a reduction in US stocks following the war with Iran. According to calculations by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Washington may be left with between 759 and 827 interceptors. Prior to the war with Iran, their number was estimated at approximately 2,330 units.
The package requested by Ukraine amounts to approximately 36–40% of this estimated balance. This may explain Washington’s caution: the decision concerns not only support for Ukraine, but also the US’s reserves for its own needs and commitments to its allies.
Pentagon did not confirm the assessment that the stockpiles were critically depleted. A spokesperson for the department Sean Parnell On 28 July, he stated that the US has a «vast arsenal» of capabilities to protect its people and interests. At the same time, the US administration is asking Congress to fund the replenishment of military resources, in particular the Patriot and THAAD systems, following a war with Iran.
Starlink is not a substitute for missile defence
The idea of using Starlink cannot directly replace Patriot missiles. Interceptors are needed to destroy missiles in the air, whereas satellite communications can support command and control, data transmission and the deployment of drones. The logic behind the Ukrainian proposal is likely to be the destruction of launch platforms before missiles are fired.
SpaceX has so far restricted Ukraine’s use of Starlink to its own territory, including Crimea and other regions occupied by Russia. The service is restricted within Russia. Current Starlink regulations also prohibit the remote control of drones without the company’s specific permission and do not permit the use of the service in offensive or defensive weaponry under standard terms and conditions.
Consequently, agreeing to the proposed application would require not merely the removal of the geographical restriction, but a separate political and corporate decision. Lockheed Martin plans to expand its production capacity PAC-3 MSE around 2,000 missiles a year, but this is a seven-year plan, which does not solve the problem of stockpiles before next winter.
