Hegseth Denies Ukraine Policy Shift, Cites Patriot Interceptor Needs

(MENAFN) Pete Hegseth rejected claims on Tuesday that Washington has altered its approach to Ukraine, insisting the Pentagon has issued no orders limiting satellite communications and is working to guarantee American forces hold enough Patriot missile interceptors.

Speaking to reporters in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the US defense secretary was pressed on reports that the Pentagon is holding up the transfer of Patriot interceptors from allied nations to Ukraine. He pushed back sharply.

“There’s a lot of things that have been said in the press that are not true about the Department of War,” Hegseth said.

He then addressed US posture toward Kyiv directly. “We haven’t changed our posture in any way toward the Ukrainians, but certainly with things like interceptors, we want to make sure our guys have the most possible as well,” he said.

Hegseth said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been made aware of the situation.

Asked whether the same held true for the Starshield satellite network, Hegseth said Washington had withdrawn no support. He pointed to the commercial provider’s authority over service access.

“We haven’t pulled anything back. There are terms of service that ultimately need to be complied with, and that’s where Starlink has the option to make those decisions,” he said.

“But nothing’s changed from our view. We haven’t made any directives or anything like that,” Hegseth added.

The comments follow a wave of reports scrutinizing how the Trump administration is managing military aid to Kyiv, and whether satellite communications relied on by Ukrainian forces remain secure.

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