Trump says US has not agreed to Ukraine producing Patriot missiles

US President Donald Trump has said Washington has not agreed to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles, contradicting comments made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after talks at the White House earlier this week. Trump said on Friday that the United States had not approved Ukraine building the missiles and added that the US had to be "very careful" about letting another country make them. His remarks add a new point of tension to discussions over how Kyiv can strengthen its air defences as Russian strikes continue.

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The dispute centres on what was discussed during a meeting between Trump and Zelensky that lasted just over an hour. Zelensky said after the meeting that Trump had agreed to license Patriot production to Ukraine, while Trump later said only that "many things were discussed" and that the meeting went very well. The gap between the two accounts leaves unclear whether any concrete commitment was made on production rights or whether the talks were limited to broader defence needs.

The issue matters because Ukraine is seeking more effective protection against ballistic missiles at a time when long-range attacks have intensified. Ukraine's envoy to Washington, Olha Stefanishyna, said on Thursday that Kyiv was in talks with the Pentagon about a licence to produce Patriot PAC-3 missiles itself, but that the process could take from 12 months to five years. She also said discussions were under way about a long-term purchase arrangement and possible changes in the production queue with another buyer.

Stefanishyna said the immediate need is urgent, describing the effect of overnight attacks as severe and saying the previous two nights had brought 30 to 40 ballistic missiles. She said Ukraine can defend against Iranian- and Russian-built drones, but has not yet developed an effective way to counter ballistic missiles. Her comments underline the pressure on Kyiv to secure additional air-defence capacity before winter, when damage to infrastructure and civilian life can become more acute.

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The talks also come against a wider backdrop of stalled US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war. According to the supplied material, Kyiv and Moscow have intensified long-range strikes while ceasefire efforts have not advanced. That makes any discussion of missile production, licensing or procurement more than a technical defence issue, because it affects Ukraine's ability to sustain its air shield and its negotiating position in a prolonged conflict.

Officials and defence companies have already been involved in the discussions, with representatives from Patriot maker Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, which builds the PAC-3 interceptors, linked to the process. Stefanishyna said experts from Lockheed Martin were being prepared for a visit to Ukraine, while Raytheon personnel had already been there. What remains unclear is whether the White House will endorse any production licence, how quickly any arrangement could be implemented, and whether Ukraine will instead rely on purchases or production-line swaps to meet its immediate needs.

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