At the NATO summit held in Ankara, Turkey, from July 7 to 8, U.S. President Trump told Ukrainian President Zelensky during their meeting that the U.S. would authorize Ukraine to manufacture Patriot anti-missile interceptors on its own to meet defense needs.
Trump said to Zelensky, “We’re going to give you a license to produce Patriots. That’s pretty cool, so you can’t complain anymore that we didn’t give you enough. This is a defensive weapon—I like it way more than offensive ones.”
Trump didn’t share many details, like whether the interceptors would be built inside Ukraine or elsewhere. When asked if the U.S. would send more Patriot interceptors to Ukraine soon, he replied that he thinks Ukraine can start production quickly, so the U.S. will just provide “a portion” of them.
“We have Patriots, but not a lot—we need them ourselves too. I think they can start producing pretty fast. After we explain the situation, we’ll bring in companies. You work with them, and they’re really good at making weapons, even pretty complex ones,” he said.
Trump hinted that the U.S. might pressure Patriot interceptor contractors to ramp up production. “We have a lot of influence over the companies that make Patriots. We haven’t told them yet, but it’s not a big deal—I’m sure they’ll be happy about it.”
Patriot anti-missile system | IC photo
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S., Olga Stefanyshyna, welcomed the move, saying the meeting sent “several important strategic signals” about U.S.-Ukraine cooperation. “We highly value the U.S. continuing to push for a just and lasting peace,” she said in a statement.
Reuters noted that the Patriot system has become Ukraine’s main defense against Russian airstrikes and the only weapon capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. Zelensky has repeatedly called for more interceptors to boost Ukraine’s air defense.
But former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said that while allowing Ukraine to produce Patriots is a big step, it won’t meet the country’s urgent needs. “Ukraine needs interceptors right now—it can’t wait for future production,” he pointed out.
The New York Times also reported that even with a license, production takes time. Making Patriot interceptors is complex and slow, and it’s unclear which Ukrainian company would partner with Raytheon or Lockheed Martin. Trump’s policy might take years to pay off.
The report also warned that if a Patriot interceptor factory is built inside Ukraine, it would become a top target for Russian strikes.
Right now, Ukraine is facing growing air defense pressure. Zelensky has repeatedly said that Ukraine’s interceptors are running out. In just one week, Kyiv was hit twice by Russian ballistic missiles and drones, killing over 50 people.