It will take between 12 months and several years to ramp up production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine, - Zelenskyy
The launch of local production of Patriot air defence systems in Ukraine will be delayed by between one and several years due to bureaucratic hold-ups. Furthermore, official authorisation and the granting of the relevant licence by the United States remain key conditions for the process to begin.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about this in an interview with "Yedynyi Novyny", reports Censor.NET, citing RBC-Ukraine.
The political decision has already been made
According to Zelenskyy, a political decision to grant Ukraine the necessary licences has already been taken by Washington, but its implementation requires the completion of the relevant bureaucratic procedures.
"The decision has been made. It was taken by the President of the United States and other key American state institutions. Ukraine is to receive the relevant licences," said Zelenskyy.
The President emphasised that, in the context of a full-scale war, Ukraine is forced to streamline as much as possible the procedures that are holding back the strengthening of its defence capabilities.
At the same time, established rules are in place in the US, Europe and other countries, which cannot always be circumvented quickly.
The issue of bureaucracy
"Bureaucracy, as I have already said, devours life because it devours time," said Zelenskyy.
Timeline for the start of production
Zelenskyy stated that the timeline for launching production of missiles for Patriot systems in Ukraine will depend primarily on which part of the production cycle can be localised directly within the country.
According to him, the US does not transfer the full missile production cycle ‘from start to finish’ to a single country. The manufacture of individual components is distributed across several countries.
This is precisely why Ukraine is seeking to secure as many production components as possible, in order to reduce its dependence on a complex supply chain involving several European countries.
"If we’re talking about 3, 4 or 5 European countries, it’s very complicated. Why? It’s bureaucracy again; dialogue is needed once more," explained Zelenskyy.
The President emphasised that this factor could directly affect the speed at which production is launched in Ukraine. He cited Germany as an example, where the roll-out of Patriot missile production under an American licence took over two years.
It should be noted that this refers to the production of PAC-2 missiles, not the anti-ballistic PAC-3 missiles, which Ukraine is seeking to begin manufacturing.
"As for production in Ukraine, as I have already said, the timetable will depend mainly on our partnerships. What will they offer us?" emphasised the head of state.
Zelenskyy explained why Ukraine wants to minimise its dependence on production in other European countries. According to him, political processes, elections or shifts in public sentiment can pose risks to the supply of critically important weaponry.
"We really want this, regardless of politics. That is what we are doing," the president concluded.
The president also noted that procedural issues in particular could significantly affect the timeline for establishing the production of weapons and air defence systems.
It should be recalled that Zelenskyy has also stated that many people do not want Ukraine to have its own ballistic missiles. Ukraine is forced to overcome resistance and fight for the development of its own ballistic and anti-ballistic missiles, as the emergence of a new player on the market creates competition.
