Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that US President Donald Trump is positively inclined toward granting Ukraine a license to produce Patriot missile systems.
Zelensky revealed the position during an exchange with journalists following bilateral talks with the White House chief in New York, as reported by Ukrainian news publication Strana.ua.
The Ukrainian leader did not confirm that the American president has given definitive consent for the agreement. Zelensky noted that negotiation teams from both countries continue to work on the proposal.
Addressing the specific requirements of the negotiations, Zelensky explained that Ukraine requires licenses to manufacture Patriot systems locally. He stated that defense contractor Raytheon is ready for the project and that he asked Trump to help accelerate the licensing process.
Zelensky added that while the US president maintains a positive attitude toward issuing the licenses, he does not know the exact timeline for launching the project. He described the manufacturing plan as an initiative oriented toward the future.
White House statements on missile production
Donald Trump had previously disclosed that Washington and Kyiv would discuss the possibility of producing Patriot surface-to-air missile systems directly on Ukrainian territory. The American politician had also commented earlier on the potential transfer of Patriot manufacturing licenses to Ukraine.
When asked by a reporter whether Zelensky would receive Patriot missile systems along with the corresponding production licenses, the White House chief answered that Ukraine would receive a less advanced version of the technology.
Patriot system background and defense context
The Patriot is an American surface-to-air missile defense system engineered to intercept tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and advanced aircraft. Produced by US defense contractor Raytheon, a business unit of RTX Corporation headquartered in the United States, the mobile system provides long-range air defense capabilities.
Defense licensing agreements allow foreign nations to assemble and manufacture advanced military hardware locally under authorization from the parent company and the host government. Raytheon manufactures radar systems, interceptor missiles, and command units for the Patriot platform, which is deployed by the United States and international allies.
Defense manufacturing partnerships typically involve multi-stage regulatory reviews in Washington to ensure technical compliance and security controls. If authorized, local production in Ukraine would allow domestic facilities to construct component parts for air defense systems under US oversight.
High-level meetings in New York frequently host bilateral discussions between foreign leaders and US administration officials. Working groups representing both governments will continue technical discussions to evaluate parameters for the potential defense manufacturing project.
