Trump has changed his mind about Patriot licences for Ukraine due to concerns raised by manufacturers, - Kellogg
The delay in granting Ukraine a licence to manufacture the Patriot is due to concerns raised by the manufacturers; however, Ukraine is capable of implementing technological solutions more effectively.
This was revealed by the former US President’s Special Representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, according to Censor.NET, which cites RBC-Ukraine.
Manufacturers are concerned about the transfer of intellectual property
According to Kellogg, the delay in granting Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriot systems is linked to concerns on the part of the manufacturers, notably Lockheed Martin, regarding the transfer of their intellectual property.
He noted that on 8 July, US President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the licence would be transferred, but just three weeks later announced that no agreement had yet been reached.
"I think what actually happened was this: individuals or companies such as Lockheed Martin – the big defence giants – became nervous about transferring what they call a licence for their intellectual property to Ukraine," said the former special representative.
Ukraine can work faster and more effectively with new solutions
At the same time, Kellogg stated that he considers such a purely business-driven decision by defence companies to be wrong, as Ukraine is capable of implementing technological solutions more effectively.
"Why do I like the idea of Ukraine doing this? Because they can work faster here and, in all likelihood, come up with better solutions. So we need to give the Ukrainians this chance," he emphasised.
Kellogg also said that he plans to discuss this matter in person with the US President once his visit is over.
"When I return from this visit, I will have the opportunity to go to the President and tell him what I think he should do. I think he has listened to certain people, and that is a pity," he said.
