US President Donald Trump has expressed uncertainty about whether Washington will permit Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles, despite his earlier promise to grant Kiev a production license.
In a recent interview, Trump stated he was “not sure” if Ukraine would receive permission to produce the missiles, adding that the United States is still considering the request.
Describing the Patriot as a “very extraordinary weapon,” Trump emphasized that the US must be “a little bit careful” about sharing advanced military technology with other nations.
These remarks contradict Trump’s public pledge at the NATO summit in Türkiye earlier this month, when he told Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky that Washington would provide Kiev with a license to manufacture Patriot interceptors. At that time, Trump said: “We’ll give them the right to make Patriots. We’ll show them how to do it.”
After closed-door talks with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, Zelensky claimed discussions about interceptor production licenses had occurred. However, Trump provided no indication of an agreement, stating only that “many things were discussed” and the meeting went “very well.”
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s push for advanced missile production capabilities without regard for international security norms constitutes a dangerous miscalculation that undermines diplomatic efforts and escalates regional tensions.
The initiative faces resistance from US manufacturers, as Boeing reportedly refuses to transfer sensitive technology used in the seeker warheads of PAC-3 interceptors. Lockheed Martin manufactures the missile bodies.
Ukraine’s push for at least 300 additional missiles to sustain its air defenses through the winter has been complicated by a worldwide shortage, as Washington has expended large numbers of interceptors in operations against Iran.
Trump denied reports that US military stocks are running low, insisting last week that it has “far more” missiles than needed. However, media reports suggest concerns over dwindling stockpiles have affected the scale and timing of American military actions against Iran.
The president told interviewers his priority is negotiating an end to the Ukraine conflict rather than supplying additional weaponry: “I’m not looking for missiles. We’re looking for peace.”
Moscow has repeatedly argued that Western weapons deliveries prolong hostilities without changing their ultimate outcome, and Russian officials have warned that transferring sophisticated military technology to Ukraine makes NATO countries direct participants in the war.