Trump responds on the Patriots for Ukraine

“He agreed to grant us a licence, and I subsequently held a meeting with representatives of the production sector, very important American defence companies,” Zelenskyy said of his conversation with Donald Trump. “I hope that we will launch joint production,” he added.

Patriot systems guarantee the effective interception of Russian ballistic missiles. However, Ukraine is depleting its stocks, and the US is unable to deliver new missiles on time; furthermore, they are simply expensive. As early as this spring, Zelenskyy warned of the critical state of ammunition reserves for these launchers. The situation was further exacerbated by the United States’ conflict with Iran, during which missiles are also being used to defend American bases and facilities in the Middle East region. It is estimated that the US has fired between 1,060 and 1,430 missiles. This is a significantly higher figure than the total number of missiles Ukraine has received from all its allies over the past four years.

The interview with Fox News also addressed the current situation on the front line. Zelenskyy pointed out that “the initiative is no longer in Putin’s hands. He is losing 30,000 soldiers a month. (…) These are heavy losses, but he does not want to end this war.” Appeals for a ceasefire have proven ineffective, and no peace negotiations are currently being conducted between the parties.

Obtaining a licence to produce missiles for Patriot systems would allow Ukraine to become independent of its Western partner. Naturally, the implementation of the licence, the construction of industrial infrastructure, and the production of missiles will take several years. Ukraine is seeking a licence to build the latest version of the missiles: the PAC-3 MSE. The list of countries with this capability is exceptionally short. Japan is currently the only country building Patriot systems under an American licence.

US President Donald Trump commented on the matter during a conversation with the Financial Times on Thursday. As it turns out, it is not yet certain whether the licence will be granted to Ukraine. “It is a very unique weapon, and we have to be a little bit careful about who we give a licence to,” the President said. He stated he is “not sure” whether he will allow Ukraine to produce the missiles. He then asserted that his primary objective is to end the war with Russia. “I am not looking for missiles. We are looking for peace.”

During the interview, Trump also announced that in the coming days, his envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will visit Ukraine for the first time. The visit is intended to revitalise diplomatic efforts and resume peace negotiations between the warring parties. Radio Free Europe reported that the envoys’ visit could coincide with events marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, which falls on 24 August.