Ukraine would produce a “less sophisticated version” of Patriot interceptors should the US choose to grant it a license, President Donald Trump has stated.
In recent months, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly asked his Western backers for at least 300 additional missiles to sustain Ukrainian air defenses through the coming winter.
However, according to multiple media reports, the US and its allies are facing severe shortages of Patriot interceptors as Washington has used up a significant part of its stocks in the course of its conflict with Iran.
When asked by a reporter on board Air Force One on Sunday whether Ukraine would receive a license for the air defense missiles, Trump said “we’re talking about it,” clarifying that it would be a “less sophisticated version.”
Trump originally floated the possibility during a meeting with Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Türkiye in July.
“We’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots… This way, you can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough,” the US president told his counterpart at the time.
Several weeks later, Trump appeared to pour cold water on the idea though, saying that he was “not sure” whether Ukraine would receive permission to produce the missiles after all. He told the Financial Times that the US had to be “a little bit careful” about granting other countries access to its advanced military technology.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg noted at the time that even if approval were granted, “a Patriot missile takes years to build, meaning Ukrainian production of these missiles won’t materialize on the near-term timelines they need.”
Other experts have warned that assembly lines for Patriot interceptors in Ukraine would likely become high-priority targets for Russia.
Reuters, citing sources, claimed in July that the missiles would likely be manufactured under US license in Germany or another European country, with the production shifting to Ukraine only after the hostilities are over.
Die Welt subsequently reported that Boeing, which manufactures the seeker warheads used in PAC-3 interceptors, was reluctant to share the technology with third parties.
Amid intensifying Russian airstrikes, Ukraine last month asked the US to provide it with additional ready-made interceptors.
“We want missiles, too,” Trump said, dismissing Zelensky’s plea.
Several other NATO member states that use Patriots, including Romania, the Netherlands, and Poland, have similarly signaled to Ukraine that their capacity to supply more missiles has been exhausted.
Moscow maintains that Western arms deliveries only unnecessarily prolong the conflict without changing its outcome. Russian officials have also warned that by supplying increasingly advanced weapons to Kiev, NATO countries risk being dragged into the hostilities.