Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in an argument during Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House in February 2025. The Trump-Zelenskyy relationship has generally improved since then, but recently soured over Trump’s claim that Ukraine was driving up prices by attacking Russian oil infrastructure. (The White House/Daniel Torok)

Why Isn’t America Giving Ukraine the Missiles It Paid For?

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It is unclear if the slow pace of arms deliveries to Ukraine is tied to the Iran war, or to President Donald Trump’s hostile interactions with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused President Donald Trump of pushing for Ukraine—rather than Russia—to make concessions to end the ongoing war in an interview with Bloomberg on Monday. The Ukrainian leader also made the remarkable claim that the US government was holding back Patriot missile interceptors that Kyiv had already paid for under the NATO-coordinated weapons purchasing program.

Zelenskyy’s accusation came after Trump repeatedly blamed Ukraine for targeting Russian infrastructure, which he claimed was why global diesel prices are so high. Energy analysts have generally rejected this claim, noting that the war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has played a much larger role in the rise in fuel costs. Since the start of that war, Gulf state diesel exports........

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