Trump Hints at Granting Ukraine License to Produce Patriot Missiles

US President Donald Trump suggests a possible transfer of a license to Ukraine to produce missiles for the Patriot air defense system during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.

Bloomberg reported on this.

The US administration believes that local production could optimize supply chains while addressing Ukraine’s continued requests for increased military support.

Washington expects that the licensing agreement would allow Ukraine to produce the missiles domestically.

“One of the things we’re going to be talking about is, we’re going to give you a license to make Patriots. That’s pretty cool, right? This way you can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough. I’d say: Make them yourself. Honestly, we haven’t told the manufacturer yet, but I think it’s going to be okay,” Trump said.

The possibility of granting Ukraine a production license has raised questions about expanding production rights to other allied countries. Asked whether the United States would allow European countries to produce Patriot interceptors locally, Trump said the issue remained open.

In recent months, Russia has intensified air strikes against Ukraine, including attacks involving ballistic missiles that can only be intercepted by Patriot air defense systems, amid a slowdown in the Russian military’s ground advance and Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s military logistics and oil infrastructure, such as attacks on the Omsk and Moscow oil refineries, which have caused widespread fuel shortages.