Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to support granting Ukraine a license to produce missiles for Patriot air and missile defense systems domestically. The issue was discussed during their meeting in New York, including its closed-door portion.
The proposed project would focus specifically on producing Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said domestic production is necessary even if Ukraine eventually develops its own ballistic missile interceptors, making the project part of a longer-term effort to strengthen the country's air defense capabilities.
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Raytheon is ready to participate in the project. Ukraine has asked Donald Trump to help accelerate the licensing process, and, according to the Ukrainian president, Donald Trump is positively disposed toward the issue.
However, the reported agreement does not mean that domestic production can begin immediately. Volodymyr Zelenskyy estimated that launching the project in Ukraine could take approximately one to one and a half years.
The timeline suggests that the proposed production would address Ukraine's future demand for Patriot missiles rather than provide an immediate increase in interceptor supplies.
At the same time, the United States has not provided Ukraine with a specific answer on whether it will supply additional Patriot missiles. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that no one had given him a direct “no”, but he also had not received any concrete commitments.
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