Deal with Ukraine on joint production of Patriot missiles will not be concluded before this winter – Whitaker
US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said that an agreement with Ukraine on the joint production of interceptors for Patriot air defence systems would probably not be concluded before this winter.
He said this on Fox News, Censor.NET reports.
Joint production in the longer term
Whitaker said that the United States is currently exploring opportunities to jointly produce interceptors for Patriot air defence systems with Ukraine and its European partners in order to expand the defence industrial base.
"There are co-production opportunities that we can pursue with the Ukrainians and Europeans to expand the industrial base and support the defence of Ukraine and Europe," the US ambassador to NATO said.
According to him, negotiations on such arrangements are ongoing.
At the same time, he stressed that an agreement on the production of Patriot interceptors would not be ready before this winter.
"A long-term production agreement will not be concluded before this winter. So we will continue working on it," Whitaker said.
Immediate priority
The US diplomat stressed that the most urgent task now is to provide Ukraine with air defence capabilities as quickly as possible ahead of winter.
"The most important thing right now is to deliver the air defence capabilities Ukraine needs as quickly as possible to get through another winter, whether from allies that have surplus missiles or by increasing production at our own factories," he said.
