Photo: EPA
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said his October 20 conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lasted 45 minutes, rejecting reports that Washington had changed its policy on military assistance and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
“I see a lot of information in the media that is not accurate, so let me clarify,” Rubio told reporters. He said the US Department of War’s approach to Ukraine had not changed.
Asked whether the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) weapons procurement program was still operating, Rubio replied that “nothing has changed.” Under the initiative, European partners purchase US weapons for Ukraine.
Rubio also denied that Washington had changed its intelligence-sharing policy. He said President Donald Trump had made it clear that he had not ordered any such changes.
“There has been absolutely no change on that issue,” Rubio said, describing reports to the contrary as false.
Turning to the supply of ammunition, including Patriot air defense interceptors, Rubio said demand far exceeded available supplies. He noted that Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States also needed interceptors.
“Every country in the world would like to have interceptors,” he said, calling them one of the most sought-after defense products at present.
Rubio argued that delays in supplying interceptors did not mean the US was deliberately refusing assistance to Ukraine. Washington had to maintain minimum air defense requirements at its military bases around the world, including in Europe and the Middle East.
“Foreign policy and defense policy are not made by looking at just one issue,” Rubio said, adding that the United States had to balance its commitments to partners with its own security needs.
Media reports say the Trump administration is delaying approval for European allies to transfer US-made Patriot interceptors to Ukraine. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has yet to complete the required procedures.
In an October 18 interview, Zelenskyy accused Washington of pressuring Ukraine in ways that could push it toward concessions to Russia. He reportedly offered to halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries in exchange for additional Patriot missiles.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had already paid for weapons through the PURL program, but Washington had approved only part of the deliveries. According to the Ukrainian president, Kyiv was receiving just 12 Patriot interceptors per month, roughly a quarter of the amount supplied under former President Joe Biden.
The dispute also extends to satellite communications. SpaceX founder Elon Musk previously said decisions on military use were made by the US military and the president, adding that commercial connectivity was not intended for offensive military operations. Trump denied that Washington was involved in slowing the Starshield platform, while Rubio said the system was not available to Ukraine.
The Telegraph reported that Musk had personally proposed to Trump restricting connectivity speeds for Ukrainian forces. In response, members of the US Congress decided to ask the Pentagon’s inspector general to launch an official investigation.
