President Trump announced Wednesday evening that the U.S. will grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air defense systems, during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The decision fulfills Trump's earlier statement earlier Wednesday that the U.S. would allow Ukraine to build Patriot systems, as The Zioneer reported at 16:26 Jerusalem.
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday evening that the United States will grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air defense systems, during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The decision, confirmed by the White House, represents a concrete step following Trump's statement earlier Wednesday that the U.S. would allow Ukraine to build Patriot systems, as The Zioneer reported at 16:26 Jerusalem.
The announcement comes amid a broader push by Kyiv to secure domestic production capabilities for the Patriot system. On Sunday, Zelensky said Trump intends to ask American defense firms to set up Patriot production lines in Ukraine and Europe. Last week, Jared Kushner discussed the matter with Ukrainian National Security Advisor Rustem Umerov, who presented Kyiv's request for production lines.
At the Ankara summit, Ukraine has been urging NATO allies to commit more interceptor missiles to defend against Russian ballistic threats. The summit also saw discussions on ending the war, with a U.S. official earlier indicating that Trump would discuss paths to peace with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Details of the license—including the scope, timeline, and specific terms—have not yet been disclosed. The development marks a significant shift in U.S. policy, moving from providing complete systems to enabling local production in Ukraine.
3 developments
- DevelopingZelensky says Trump intends to have US defense firms build Patriot missile production lines in Ukraine and Europe
- StrongZelensky calls for domestic Patriot missile production after Russian strike on Kyiv
- DevelopingKushner discusses Patriot production lines in Ukraine with Kyiv's security adviser
- DevelopingTrump: 'Now that Iran is finished, we will focus on Ukraine'
Source and signal
- Internal intake