NEW YORK — U.S. President Donald Trump has given final approval for Ukraine to receive licenses to produce interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the decision following his meeting with Trump in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Zelensky said Trump told him during the meeting that he had made the final decision and that specific agreements were already in place.
Zelensky did not provide details on when production would begin or which Patriot interceptor variants would be covered by the licenses.
Decision follows months of negotiations
The approval follows months of discussions between Washington and Kyiv. On July 31, Trump said the United States had not yet made a decision, citing the need for caution over transferring sensitive Patriot technology for production outside the United States.
In early September, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations were still continuing and warned that establishing the required manufacturing infrastructure could take several years.
Ukraine has also held direct talks with U.S. Patriot manufacturers. In July, Zelensky met representatives of RTX (Raytheon), which produces the PAC-2/GEM-T interceptor family, and Lockheed Martin, which manufactures PAC-3 interceptors.
According to Reuters, establishing facilities and beginning mass production of components could take between three and seven years after a licensing agreement is signed. The exact production timeline for Ukraine has not yet been announced.
Ukraine seeks missiles for immediate needs
The licensing agreement will not immediately solve Ukraine's shortage of Patriot interceptors. Kyiv is continuing negotiations with allies for regular deliveries of ready-made missiles.
Ukraine also plans to purchase around 1,000 Patriot missiles using credit financing from the European Union.
At the same time, Ukraine is developing its own anti-ballistic missile capability under the FREYJA program with European partners.
The Patriot system remains a key part of Ukraine's air defenses against ballistic missiles. Germany and Japan have previously received licenses to produce Patriot-related interceptors, making Ukraine the latest country to receive such authorization.
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