US holds talks with Ukraine on licences to produce Patriot missiles – Rubio
The United States and Ukraine are negotiating the transfer of a licence to produce missiles for Patriot air defence systems.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this on The Brian Kilmeade Show, Censor.NET reports.
Rubio discussed the status of negotiations on granting Ukraine licences for the domestic production of interceptor missiles for Patriot systems.
On Patriot licences
Asked about the possibility of granting Ukraine licences to produce its own interceptors, Rubio confirmed that the issue was currently under negotiation: "Well, that's being negotiated as we speak. But, as I have already said, this is not an immediate solution."
At the same time, he cautioned that even with a licence, establishing full-scale production would not be a quick process: building plants to manufacture such sophisticated weapons takes several years, meaning that a licence alone would not address Ukraine’s urgent short-term needs.
Rubio also noted that air defence interceptors had become the most sought-after type of weapon in the world, as they were needed not only by Ukraine but also by countries in the Middle East.
"Before providing assistance to other countries, the United States must ensure that its own defence stockpiles are sufficient, and the availability of equipment, rather than political will, is the main limiting factor," the official said.
He also stressed that Washington had provided Ukraine with more assistance than any other country and continued to do so within its capabilities.
The Secretary of State added that the possible use of Ukrainian drone manufacturing technologies in cooperation with the United States was also under negotiation, but no specific announcements had been made yet.
Background
- During a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit on July 8, US President Donald Trump said that the United States could grant Ukraine a licence to produce missiles for Patriot air defence systems. Late last week, he said that Washington should be "very cautious" about transferring such a licence to Ukraine.
- In August, US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker said that there would be no agreement with Ukraine on Patriot missile production before winter.
