Zelensky: Pentagon is holding up some supplies. Kyiv talks Patriots with Lockheed Martin

What Zelensky said

After a conference call on the aftermath of another wave of Russian attacks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on 19 October that some agreements with the US are not being implemented. “There are political agreements that have not been carried out at the working level. There are also postponements of certain types of vital supplies at the level of the Department of War in the United States,” he wrote.

The defence minister, the foreign minister and the Presidential Office team were given urgent tasks to contact partners who could quickly reinforce Ukraine’s air defence. An additional meeting on the results of those contacts was due to be held in the evening, Zelensky said.

Starshield “switches off” at speed

Separately, Zelensky said the commander-in-chief had reported on the performance of Starlink and Starshield. On various sections of the front the equipment stops working at speeds of 130–161 km/h. According to the president, this slows front-line logistics and limits the use of drones, above all mid-range strike drones and interceptors of jet-powered Shaheds.

On the night of 14 October SpaceX introduced speed limits on terminals in motion without warning Ukraine’s Defence Forces. On 15 October the Defence Ministry said Starshield was working on the move again. Elon Musk has said Starshield systems belong to the US government, and that decisions on restrictions are made by the US military or the president. Reuters reported last week that the order came from within the White House; the administration denies this. Ten senators from both parties asked the Pentagon’s inspector general to investigate the disruptions.

Meeting with Lockheed Martin

The same evening Zelensky met a team from US defence company Lockheed Martin in Kyiv. Its Patriot systems and F-16 jets play an important role in defending against Russian ballistic missiles and jet-powered Shaheds, “and both areas are difficult right now,” the president admitted.

The two sides discussed expanding and increasing supplies. Zelensky said the company is ramping up production of ballistic missile interceptors and that Ukraine hopes to buy some of them. They also discussed servicing and repairing F-16s directly in Ukraine. Zelensky has previously said Ukraine will receive additional F-16s from Belgium by the end of the year.

Pressure in Congress

Meanwhile in Washington, some Republicans who back Ukraine are threatening to block additional Pentagon funding unless the Trump administration changes course on Russia, The Hill reports. They are angered by the deal with Putin on imports of Russian diesel, the Starlink restrictions and the cuts to intelligence sharing.

Congressman Don Bacon warned that Congress would not support Trump’s legislative agenda without action against the Russian war machine. He called the intelligence cuts and Starlink restrictions tantamount to aiding the invader. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick told The Wall Street Journal that the administration would face “consequences” if it did not restore Ukraine’s access to satellite technology.

The leverage is real: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is seeking a record $1.5 trillion defence budget and a $350 billion supplemental package, including $17 billion for the Golden Dome missile defence system and $47 billion to expand munitions production. Hegseth’s office declined to comment.

Why it matters

Patriot remains the main means of stopping the ballistic missiles Russia fires at Ukrainian cities almost daily. Any delay in deliveries or communication failures at the front therefore directly affect civilian safety. Whether Kyiv can strike a deal with the manufacturer, and whether pressure from Congress grows, will shape how well Ukrainian cities are protected this winter.