President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed tensions in U.S.-Ukraine relations with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a phone call Oct. 20, the Ukrainian president said.
The conversation comes as kyiv accuses Washington of using military aid and access to technology as leverage to pressure Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries.
“It was a substantive conversation, focused on important issues,” the Ukrainian president said. “I am grateful for his willingness to help and his clear position.”
The two discussed ballistic missile interceptors, early warning of Russian ballistic missile attacks and the situation with Starlink and Starshield, Zelensky said.
Ukraine has recently experienced disruptions in its early warning systems regarding the arrival of Russian ballistic missiles, which rely on US intelligence. U.S. officials attributed the previous outages to “bad weather conditions,” while Rubio cited a software malfunction.
Ukraine also experienced disruptions to Starlink and Starshield services, which severely hampered Ukrainian drone operations, including the use of interceptor drones to counter Russian jet attack drones over Ukrainian cities.
Along with disruptions in intelligence and satellite services, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has yet to approve the transfer of a large batch of Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine, Ukrainian officials and military officers told the Kyiv Independent.
Ukrainian officials described the alleged delay as another example of political pressure from Washington, warning it could put civilian lives at risk.
The tensions come as U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, while Washington seeks to address rising global fuel prices caused by its war in Iran.
Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 9, allowing Russia to supply millions of tons of diesel to the U.S. and international markets despite sanctions imposed following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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