Trump at NATO summit says US will let Ukraine build Patriot missiles

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At the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Washington would grant Kyiv a licence to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors domestically. The announcement came as Ukraine's stockpile of the US-made air defence system runs critically low amid intensifying Russian strikes.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Zelensky, Trump said: "We're going to give a licence to you to make Patriots. This way, you can't complain that we're not giving them enough." He also said, "A little birdie told me this, about the fact that we'll give them the right to make Patriots. We'll show them how to do it, it's very complex actually. But it's – you'll figure out the complexity quickly."

Trump offered no specifics on how the missiles would be produced in Ukraine, but suggested the process could be accelerated: "I think they can produce it pretty quickly. Once we explain it, we'll bring the company here. You work with the company."

Coverage comparison

Reports from multiple outlets highlight the significance of the offer while pointing out its vague framing and the practical hurdles ahead. The Guardian reported that Trump acknowledged he had not spoken to Lockheed Martin and RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon), the companies that produce the Patriot system. RFI noted that Trump gave no details on the manufacturing timeline or process.

Dawn reported that the pledge could take at least a year to yield results, quoting defence experts. Al Jazeera cited Nikolay Mitrokhin, a researcher at Germany's Bremen University, who said that in the short term Ukraine "perhaps, gets nothing," but that access to US technologies could significantly speed up Ukraine's domestic missile programme.

Zelensky, for his part, said that political approval had been secured and that the challenge now was to take the practical steps needed to begin production. "We resolved this issue politically," he told reporters after returning from the summit. "It's now very important that our technical teams, all our representatives from different ministries, representatives of the executive branch, start working on this without delay, so that we can get licences very quickly and start production in Ukraine as soon as possible."

The offer marks a notable shift in the relationship between Trump and Zelensky, who had clashed at the White House in February 2025. Trump said the two had developed a "very good" relationship and that both Ukraine and Russia wanted to end the war.

Key claims

• Licence to produce Patriot interceptors: Multiple reports confirm that the US will grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors domestically. The announcement was made by Trump at the NATO summit in Ankara.

• Low stockpiles: Ukraine's stockpile of Patriot interceptors is running low due to frequent Russian strikes. RFI reported that Kyiv's stockpile is "critically low," and Dawn said Ukraine faces a "chronic shortage" of interceptor missiles.

• Complex production: Producing Patriot missiles is complex and time-consuming. Experts cited by Dawn said building an assembly plant and organising contractors would delay production, possibly by more than a year. Fabian Hoffmann, a missile expert at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, said, "Short term, the impact will be very limited. I would be very surprised if this is faster than 12 months. I would assume significantly longer."

• Global shortage: There is a global shortage of Patriot interceptors due to the running down of stockpiles by Ukraine and Gulf states involved in the US-Israel conflict with Iran, as reported by The Guardian.

• Cost and production rates: The Guardian reported that each interceptor costs about $3 million, and until recently the US was producing no more than 60 per month. Dawn added that Russia is producing at least 700–800 ballistic missiles per year, straining Ukraine's air defences.

• Alternative systems: Ukraine is considering alternative missile defence systems, such as the Freya project, due to the complexity and cost of producing Patriots, according to Dawn and Al Jazeera.

• Technology exposure: Some analysts have raised concerns that the move could expose Patriot technology to Russian intelligence collection, a claim carried by a single outlet.

Perspectives

US government: President Trump framed the licence as a way to address Ukraine's complaints about insufficient aid: "This way, you can't complain that we're not giving them enough." He also suggested that the relationship between the US and Ukraine had improved.

Ukrainian government: President Zelensky welcomed the political approval and stressed the urgency of starting production: "We resolved this issue politically. It's now very important that our technical teams... start working on this without delay."

Experts: Defence analysts expressed caution, noting that production could take a year or longer, and that the short-term impact on Ukraine's defensive capabilities would be limited. Researchers like Nikolay Mitrokhin also noted the potential for technology access to accelerate Ukraine's broader missile programme.

Russia: Russia's foreign ministry denounced NATO's decision at the summit to provide military aid to Ukraine, saying it could have catastrophic consequences, as reported by RFI.