US President Donald Trump stated that Washington has not yet decided on granting Ukraine a license to produce Patriot interceptor missiles. This statement calls into question the implementation of one of Kyiv's key defense priorities, which has actively lobbied for the localization of Western weapons production.
"We are considering this issue"
In an interview with Financial Times, the American leader said he could not confirm the readiness to allow Ukraine to launch its own production of interceptors. "I'm not sure. We are considering this issue," Trump noted.
The US President explained his position, pointing to Washington's cautious approach to technology transfer. According to him, Patriot is "a very unusual weapon," and the administration must carefully weigh the risks before issuing licenses. "We really do not license equipment," he added, emphasizing the complexity of the issue.
Negotiation context
Trump's comments came two days after his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. After the negotiations, the Ukrainian leader called the meeting "good" and reported that the sides discussed, among other things, issues of joint production of Patriot interceptor missiles, as well as other defense initiatives.
Earlier, during a preliminary meeting on July 8 on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Trump did not rule out the possibility that Washington might allow Ukraine to set up its own production of interceptors. In addition, during his visit to the US on July 28, Zelenskyy met with the F-16 and Patriot missile manufacturer team. The President of Ukraine said he discussed further development of cooperation with Lockheed Martin, including joint production and technology exchange.
