Trump pledges license for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles

ANKARA — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, stating that both Russia and Ukraine are eager to end the war.

"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 during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Ankara.

"It's a defensive weapon, which I like better than an offensive weapon," Trump added.

Russian Media Reaction

The U.S. president's remarks were quickly picked up by Russian state media, which closely monitors developments from the Ankara summit. Initial reporting was factual and brief, relaying the American president's decision verbatim. State-aligned media had previously criticized the idea as reckless and amplified Western skeptical voices warning that the technology could fall into Russian hands, posing a risk to U.S. national security.

Diplomatic Tensions

Russia's foreign ministry has condemned the Trump administration for continuing to support Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Washington was abandoning its role as an "honest broker" and moving toward more decisive backing of Kyiv.

Reporting by the Financial Times from late June indicated this shift was causing disillusionment with Trump among Putin's close associates.

Wednesday's announcement comes days after Kremlin spokesperson Dimitry Peskov dropped Russia's longstanding euphemism of the "special military operation" in Ukraine. Speaking to Russian media on Sunday, Peskov described it as a "real war" due to Western involvement.

Technical Details and Contractors

While Trump was unambiguous about the licensing offer, specific details remain to be negotiated with U.S. contractors. It is unclear which type of interceptor missile — the simpler PAC-2 or the more capable PAC-3 — Trump intends to allow Ukraine to produce.

Trump said pressure could be applied to manufacturers: "We have great power over the companies, those companies that make the Patriot."

"We haven't informed the company of that yet, but that'll work out all right. I'm sure they will be thrilled," he said.

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the Patriot interceptor missiles.

Ukraine's Air Defense Crisis

Zelenskyy has repeatedly pleaded for U.S.-made interceptors — the only weapon in Ukraine's arsenal capable of shooting down ballistic projectiles, whose high velocity and steep flight path make them difficult to stop.

Russia fired ballistic missiles at Kyiv again overnight, officials said Wednesday, marking the third attack on the Ukrainian capital in less than a week. The strikes exploit Ukraine's critical shortage of U.S.-made air-defense interceptors.

While Ukraine's air defenses intercepted 139 of 169 drones during the overnight strikes, they were again unable to down any of the five ballistic missiles used by Russia, air force data showed.

Leaders' Remarks

Trump said both sides in the war would like to see it end, but described both Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "difficult."

"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 Zelenskyy, who was seated beside him.

Zelenskyy said he wanted to discuss "some very important details" with Trump.

"I'm sure you will do everything to stop this war," he told Trump.

Broader Context

Moscow has intensified its air war on Ukraine in recent months as its ground advances have largely stalled and Ukrainian attacks on Russian military logistics and oil industry have triggered widespread fuel shortages.

About the author: Linus Höller is Defense News' Europe correspondent and OSINT investigator. He reports on arms deals, sanctions, and geopolitics shaping Europe and the world. He holds master's degrees in WMD nonproliferation, terrorism studies, and international relations.