US President Donald Trump has approved Ukraine’s request to obtain a licence to produce Patriot interceptor missiles domestically, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday.
Speaking at a news conference, Zelenskyy said the decision was confirmed during his recent meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“We have reached agreements on several specific issues,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Trump had told him during their meeting that he had made a final decision to grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriot missiles.
Zelenskyy described the Patriot interceptor system as a critical component of Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s continuing ballistic missile attacks.
The US president had indicated in July, on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Turkey, that Washington could allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot systems. Trump subsequently appeared to soften that position in the following weeks.
Patriot interceptors are among the few air-defence weapons capable of engaging ballistic missiles. But shortages in global supplies have increased pressure on countries seeking to strengthen their air defences, affecting Ukraine’s access to the systems.
Kyiv has repeatedly warned that its limited stock of interceptors is making it increasingly difficult to protect Ukrainian cities from Russian missile and drone attacks.
According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, Russian drone strikes on the Ukrainian capital on Friday killed seven civilians, including a teenager, and wounded 46 others.
Zelenskyy said in an interview last month that Ukraine had only about one-tenth of the interceptors it needed to counter the intensity of Russia’s current attacks. He said access to 5% of the United States’ existing stockpile could help Ukraine defend itself through the winter, while 10% would allow it to intercept all Russian ballistic missiles, according to his assessment.
US proposes trilateral meeting
Zelenskyy also said Washington had proposed a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
No date has yet been set, but the United Arab Emirates has been suggested as a possible venue, he said.
“We will inform our European partners and discuss these details with them,” Zelenskyy said. “The Americans will speak with the Russians, and within 10 days we will return with a specific vision and outcome.”
Moscow has not yet formally committed to the proposed trilateral talks, although Russian officials have indicated that such a meeting could take place soon.
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