Axios: Zelensky Seeks US Senators’ Help to Pressure Trump Over Military Aid

By Staff, Agencies

Vladimir Zelensky has appealed to a bipartisan group of US senators to pressure President Donald Trump into lifting alleged restrictions on US military assistance and intelligence sharing, Axios reported on Monday.

During a virtual meeting with lawmakers led by Republican Senator Thom Tillis and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, Zelensky complained about alleged disruptions to weapons deliveries, satellite communications, and early warnings of Russian missile attacks, according to a transcript obtained by Axios from Ukrainian officials.

The Ukrainian leader suggested that the Trump administration had deliberately “slowed down support” in an attempt to force Kiev to accept a negotiated settlement with Moscow.

The lobbying effort comes as Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Kiev’s refusal to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries, which he has blamed for aggravating the global diesel shortage and driving up fuel prices for US consumers.

The dispute intensified earlier this month after Trump reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports and increase supplies to the global market. Kiev condemned the deal, accusing Washington of making concessions to Moscow behind Ukraine’s back.

During talks in Miami, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner reportedly reminded Ukrainian negotiators that Washington provides Kiev with weapons and intelligence, warning that Ukraine should not carry out attacks that harm American consumers.

Ukrainian officials interpreted the remarks as a threat to suspend assistance unless the attacks on Russian refineries stopped.

The Trump administration has denied issuing any ultimatums. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has rejected allegations that Washington deliberately restricted intelligence sharing or access to Starlink, while the Pentagon has also denied changing its intelligence-sharing policy.

Nevertheless, Zelensky continued to challenge the administration, telling senators that access to SpaceX’s Starlink and the US military’s Starshield satellite systems remained partially restricted. He also claimed that Ukraine had missed US early warnings about Russian ballistic missile attacks on three occasions over the previous week.

Zelensky further 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 Kiev.

The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon had yet to authorize certain transfers of Patriot missiles from third countries to Ukraine.

Following the meeting, Blumenthal pledged further congressional action, insisting that bipartisan support for Kiev remained “clear and unequivocal.”

Meanwhile, Trump lashed out at Zelensky on Monday, accusing the Ukrainian leader of obstructing efforts to end the conflict and suggesting that someone else should negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf.

“Zelensky doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Trump told reporters. “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.”