U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Ukraine will be granted a license to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors, a move that could significantly strengthen Kyiv’s air defense capabilities as Russia continues its missile attacks.
Speaking during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said the license would allow Ukraine to produce the defensive weapons domestically.
FILE PHOTO: 37th Air Defense Missile Squadron’s Patriot missile systems, on the day of a ceremony announcing it’s full combat readiness for the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) attended by Poland’s Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and U.S. Ambassador to Poland Thomas Rose, at the 3rd Warsaw Air Defense Missile Brigade’s base in Sochaczew, Poland, December 18, 2025. Agencja Wyborcza.pl/Jacek Marczewski via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. POLAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN POLAND./File Photo
“We’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That’s pretty cool. This way, you can’t complain that we’re not giving ’em enough,” Trump said.
“It’s a defensive weapon, which I like better than an offensive weapon,” he added.
A major boost for Ukraine
The announcement represents a significant development for Ukraine, which has repeatedly sought permission to manufacture the U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles.
While Trump did not provide details on the timeline, he said some Patriot interceptors could be delivered immediately and expressed confidence that Ukraine could begin production quickly.
“We have Patriots, but we don’t have that many. We need them for ourselves too,” Trump said.
“I think they can produce it pretty quickly. Once we explain it, we’ll bring the company here. You work with the company. They have a great ability to produce weapons, pretty complex weapons.”
As reported in Reuters, two sources familiar with the discussions said the interceptors would likely be manufactured in Germany or another European country rather than in Ukraine, to avoid creating potential targets for Russian strikes.
Trump and Zelenskiy strike a different tone
The meeting marked a notable shift from Trump’s previous criticism of Zelenskiy, whom he had previously described as “ungrateful.”
On Wednesday, Trump said the two leaders had developed a “very good” relationship and expressed optimism that both Kyiv and Moscow wanted to end the war that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Trump also said he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin later on Wednesday and expected to meet him soon.
“We’ve settled a lot of wars, and this one is the one that I thought maybe would be the easiest, but Putin is a difficult character, and this guy’s a difficult character,” Trump said, referring to Zelenskiy, who was sitting beside him.
Zelenskiy responded: “I’m sure you will do everything to stop this war.”
Reactions to the announcement
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned NATO’s decisions at the Ankara summit after the alliance announced new military aid for Ukraine, warning they could have “catastrophic consequences.”
The announcement was welcomed in Washington.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, said the meeting in Ankara sent “several important strategic signals” about cooperation between Washington and Kyiv and expressed hope that they would lead to concrete decisions.
Republican Representative Don Bacon called the decision “great,” saying it would help address production shortages, while Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said enabling Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptors would save civilian lives and strengthen long-term security.
Charles Lichfield, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center, described the move as one of the most significant outcomes of the NATO summit, saying it signaled a change in Trump’s approach. He added that allowing a country at war to manufacture such sensitive technology would be unusual.
Ukraine’s urgent air defense needs
Ukraine has repeatedly requested additional Patriot interceptors, the only weapons in its arsenal capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.
The announcement comes as Russia intensifies its air campaign against Ukraine. According to Ukrainian officials, Russia launched another overnight ballistic missile attack on Kyiv on Wednesday, the third in less than a week.
Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 139 of the 169 drones launched during the overnight assault but was unable to shoot down any of the five ballistic missiles used in the attack, highlighting the country’s continuing shortage of Patriot interceptors.
