Zelensky presses US lawmakers for answers as Washington’s support for Ukraine appears to wobble
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a bipartisan group of US senators and representatives that recent shifts in US assistance to Ukraine — including delayed Patriot interceptors and restrictions on Starlink — look like a deliberate slowing of support, and he demanded clarity on why it is happening.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with a bipartisan group of US senators and representatives by videoconference on Oct. 19 to raise alarm over recent changes in American assistance to Ukraine. The briefing, organized by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Thom Tillis, underscored delayed deliveries of Patriot interceptors, continued speed caps on Starlink services for Ukrainian forces, and the end of advance warnings about Russian missile launches.
Zelensky called the situation the most difficult since the war began and contrasted battlefield gains, such as the Operation Vivaldi counteroffensive in Donetsk Oblast, with the mounting political and military obstacles. He warned that Russian attacks had become more frequent and intense, saying that "there is hardly an hour when Russia isn't attacking somewhere or hitting something. And this happens every single day."
"All of this suggests that some political decision has been made to slow down support for us. ... We want to understand what is happening, why it's happening, and where all this is heading," Zelensky told the lawmakers.
The president also said Ukraine had proposed a 30-day moratorium on attacks on Russian refineries in exchange for Patriot supplies, a proposal that received no response from the United States. He noted that the Pentagon had not approved the transfer of Patriot missiles already funded through the US-NATO PURL program.
The briefing took place as US President Donald Trump, who was re-elected in January 2025, has recently shifted his public stance on Ukraine, including announcing a purchase of Russian diesel and supporting restrictions on Starlink access. The White House has denied ordering the Starlink limitations or withholding missile-strike warnings, while the administration defended the diesel deal despite bipartisan criticism.
"Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine," Trump said to reporters on Oct. 19.
Zelensky’s appeal is aimed at forcing clarity on the policy changes and their impact on Ukraine’s defensive capabilities ahead of the upcoming US midterm elections.