Zelensky Urges US Senators to Pressure Trump on Military Aid
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has appealed to a bipartisan group of US senators to pressure President Donald Trump into lifting alleged restrictions on American military assistance and intelligence sharing. During a virtual meeting with lawmakers led by Republican Senator Thom Tillis and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, Zelensky raised concerns about disruptions to weapons deliveries, satellite communications, and early warnings of Russian missile attacks, according to a transcript obtained from Ukrainian officials.
Zelensky suggested that Washington had deliberately slowed down support to force Ukraine into accepting a negotiated settlement with Moscow. This lobbying effort comes as Trump has expressed frustration with Ukraine's continued attacks on Russian oil refineries, which he claims are exacerbating a global diesel shortage and increasing fuel prices for US consumers.
Tensions escalated earlier this month when Trump reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports, which led to a public condemnation from Kiev. Ukrainian officials accused the US of making concessions to Russia without consulting them.
During discussions in Miami, US envoys reportedly reminded Ukrainian negotiators that the US was providing weapons and intelligence to Ukraine, implying that continued attacks on Russian targets could jeopardize that support. Ukrainian officials interpreted these remarks as a warning that assistance might be suspended unless the refinery strikes ceased.
US Officials Clarify Intelligence Sharing Policy
The US government has denied issuing any such ultimatum. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has rejected claims that Washington intentionally restricted intelligence sharing or access to satellite systems. The Pentagon has also denied altering its intelligence-sharing policy.
Cleared for Release
Despite these denials, Zelensky continued to challenge the administration, informing senators that both SpaceX’s Starlink and the US military’s Starshield satellite systems were partially restricted. He noted that Ukraine had missed US early warnings about Russian missile attacks on three occasions in the past week. Furthermore, he accused Secretary of War Pete Hegseth of delaying the delivery of Patriot interceptor missiles and AIM-9X missiles that NATO countries had already purchased for Ukraine.
Following the meeting, Senator Blumenthal pledged further congressional action, asserting that bipartisan support for Ukraine remained strong. In response, Trump criticized Zelensky, suggesting that he was obstructing efforts to resolve the conflict and implying that someone else should negotiate on Ukraine's behalf. Trump stated, "Zelensky doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Maybe it’s time for Zelensky to get someone else to negotiate… We’ve given a lot to Ukraine, they’ve given nothing to us."
