On 20 October in India, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims that Washington had made a political decision to deliberately restrict the supply of interceptor missiles or intelligence to Ukraine. At the same time, he did not announce any new deliveries or timelines for resolving the issues raised by Kyiv, in particular regarding the Patriot system and early warning of Russian ballistic missile strikes.
Briefly about the main points
- Rubio dismissed as untrue the claim that intelligence had been deliberately withheld from Ukraine.
- The US cites its own defence needs and commitments to its partners.
- Kyiv has announced a delay in the delivery of the interceptors purchased with European funds.
- Rubio acknowledged a previous software issue in the early warning system.
- Zelenskyy and Rubio agreed to remain in contact in the near future.
Rubio described the allegations regarding intelligence as false
During a conversation with journalists, as reported by Sky News, Rubio. He reacted strongly to the claim that Ukrainians are dying because the United States is refusing to share information to protect the population. He described such statements as «scandalous», «outrageous» and untrue.
According to the Secretary of State, the US Department of Defence’s approach to working with Ukraine has not changed. The Administration Donald Trump, according to him, did not issue any instructions to cause harm to Ukraine by restricting military support.
Rubio explained that the level of aid is determined by the US’s need to simultaneously ensure its own defence and fulfil its commitments to other allies and partners.
Kyiv links the dispute to interceptors and warnings
On the eve of Volodymyr Zelenskyy told US lawmakers that The Pentagon is delaying the delivery of interceptor missiles, purchased for Ukraine with funding from European partners. According to him, the transfer of one of the arms packages requires the approval of the US Secretary of Defence Pete Hagseth.
Reuters and The Washington Post reported that the issue of US authorisation for the transfer of missiles had become one of the key points of contention between Kyiv and Washington. The President of Ukraine also spoke of instances where the country had not received any advance warnings of Russian ballistic missile strikes.
The day before, Rubio had denied that the exchange of intelligence had been suspended. At the same time, he acknowledged that there had previously been a software issue with the early-warning system, which was being investigated by US European Command.
Washington’s statement did not specify any deadlines for the deliveries
The Secretary of State did not announce any new deliveries of interceptors, nor did he specify a date by which the issues raised by the Ukrainian side might be resolved. The reasons for the recent disruptions remain a point of disagreement between Kyiv and Washington.
Rubio also spoke about the loss of life caused by the war, the destruction of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and the risk of the conflict spreading beyond the two countries. According to him, bringing an end to the hostilities is one of the Trump administration’s key foreign policy priorities.
Zelenskyy discussed missiles, communications and future contacts with Rubio
On 20 October, Zelenskyy held a telephone conversation with Rubio. The two discussed interceptor missiles, early warning of ballistic attacks, and the restoration of full-scale operations Starlink and Starshield.
The President described the conversation as fruitful and thanked his counterpart for his willingness to help. They agreed to remain in contact in the near future. Meanwhile, talks between Zelenskyy and Trump’s special envoy are scheduled to take place in Oslo Steve Witkoff with the participation of European partners.
There are currently no confirmed decisions regarding the acceleration of the delivery of interceptor missiles.
