Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Washington must supply air defense missiles if it cannot stop Vladimir Putin, drawing a pushback from Marco Rubio.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed President Donald Trump on Tuesday to deliver interceptor missiles to shield power stations if the United States cannot force Russia to halt its attacks, as friction between the two governments deepened.
In an interview published Tuesday by the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, CBS News reported, Zelenskyy challenged Washington to either restrain Moscow or supply the munitions needed to repel incoming bombardments. “If you cannot rein Putin in, then give us interceptor missiles so I can protect our energy infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The public exchange followed days of mounting criticism between the two leaders, coming after European Union officials pledged continued support to Kyiv following earlier sharp remarks from Trump.
Rubio defends US arms transfers
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims on Tuesday that the Trump administration was deliberately withholding weapons from Ukraine. Speaking to reporters during a trip to India, Rubio stated that Trump was frustrated by allegations that the White House was actively attempting to injure Ukraine’s defense.
Rubio maintained that the U.S. has not deliberately denied interceptors to Ukraine, explaining that Washington must weigh its commitments to international partners alongside its own military reserves. He pointed out that Patriot interceptors remain the single most requested defense munition worldwide, noting that countries such as Saudi Arabia and Israel, as well as the U.S. military itself, are seeking the same equipment. While Rubio acknowledged that a specific batch of interceptor missiles bought for Kyiv might not have reached the country yet, he denied that any political directive was issued to harm Ukraine.
Rubio also rejected accusations that the U.S. had halted intelligence sharing with Ukrainian forces, maintaining that Trump had never ordered an intelligence cutoff.
Disputes over delayed missiles and Starshield
The spat follows direct accusations from Kyiv regarding weapons shipments and military communication networks. Zelenskyy told U.S. lawmakers on Monday that the Pentagon was holding up missile shipments that European partners had already purchased through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List programme, Al Jazeera reported.
Zelenskyy said that one arms package was awaiting the signature of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth before it could move forward. He also noted that several European allies were prepared to transfer Patriot missiles from their own domestic inventories but remained blocked while waiting for export approval from Washington. Ukraine has nearly depleted its supplies of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors as Russian air barrages strike cities and kill civilians, including at least four people killed in Kyiv in recent attacks.
Zelenskyy also accused the U.S. of limiting access to Starshield, the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink network. Ukrainian forces rely on the network to track and shoot down Russian drones, and Zelenskyy previously called the disruption deliberate. The Trump administration denied ordering any curbs on the service, and a senior Pentagon official said there has been no change in military policy regarding shared intelligence or European capabilities provided to Ukraine.
Diplomatic friction and energy policy
Tensions between Kyiv and Washington have worsened over differing stances on negotiations and Russian energy. Trump said outside the White House on Monday that Kyiv should look for a new representative to conduct peace discussions, saying, “Maybe it’s time for Zelenskyy to get somebody else to negotiate.” Trump had previously suggested on social media that the Ukrainian president should be replaced and that he does not want the war to end.
The rift expanded after Trump moved to reduce penalties on Russian energy sales and announced an agreement to import Russian diesel to curb domestic fuel prices driven up by the war with Iran. Zelenskyy warned that relaxing energy penalties would assist Russia’s military campaign. Trump in turn criticized Zelenskyy for resuming strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces had gone without advance warnings from international partners on three occasions over the past week before Russian missile and drone strikes hit.
Envoys gather in Norway
The public dispute unfolded as U.S. and European officials gathered in Norway on Tuesday for talks aimed at setting up negotiations to resolve the war. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Norway for the meetings, while envoy Jared Kushner was scheduled to participate remotely.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Finnish President Alexander Stubb would participate to help steer diplomatic work toward a constructive path. Discussions were also arranged to involve Zelenskyy alongside representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Poland, the European Union, and NATO.
Separately, Trump recently said he was prepared to meet with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month in China for discussions that could touch on Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned that any conference addressing Ukraine’s future without Kyiv present would merely encourage Moscow to press forward with the war.
