Trump cast doubt on production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that a decision on a license to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine has not yet been made, which calls into question one of Kyiv’s key defense projects.
According to Censor.NET, the Financial Times reported this.
Trump noted that he cannot currently confirm whether Washington is prepared to allow Ukraine to manufacture interceptor missiles for the Patriot systems.
"I'm not sure. We're looking into it," said the White House chief.
He also explained that the United States is cautious about granting licenses to manufacture such weapons.
"This is a very unusual weapon, and… we need to be a little careful about who we grant licenses to. We don’t actually license the equipment," the U.S. president added.
Background
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked U.S. President Donald Trump to provide Ukraine with an emergency "winter package" of Patriot air defense interceptor missiles to help prevent Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Poland has proposed to the United States that it establish a trilateral project to manufacture missiles for the Patriot air defense systems, with Ukraine’s participation. They propose locating the production facilities in Poland.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine expects to acquire the technical capability to independently manufacture missiles for the U.S. Patriot air defense systems by the end of 2026.
