Ukraine Patriot production discussed by Trump and Zelenskyy
Trump and Zelenskyy met privately as Kyiv seeks U.S. licensing to make Patriot interceptors and senators press Russia sanctions.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed Ukraine Patriot production in a closed Oval Office meeting Tuesday, Zelenskyy said, as Kyiv seeks more ways to defend against Russian missile attacks. The meeting came before Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral and followed Trump’s earlier announcement at a NATO summit in Ankara that the U.S. would license Ukraine to make Patriot defense systems.
Zelenskyy said after the meeting that he thanked Trump for U.S. help and spoke with him about licenses for Patriot interceptor production, other possible support for Ukraine and renewed diplomacy. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described Trump’s meetings with Zelenskyy and, separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “positive and productive.”
Can Ukraine produce Patriot interceptors?
Ukraine is seeking U.S. permission to build Patriot interceptors, the missiles used in Patriot air defense systems to stop incoming attacks. Trump said earlier this month that Washington would grant a license for Ukraine to manufacture the systems, a step Kyiv has pursued as Russia continues missile strikes more than four years after its 2022 invasion.
Zelenskyy also said he met with Lockheed Martin officials during his one-day Washington visit to discuss defense production and technology exchanges. Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said wider Patriot interceptor production would help Ukraine and could also ease pressure on U.S. and Gulf supplies.
Trump welcomed Zelenskyy as the Ukrainian president visited Washington to honor Graham, a South Carolina Republican and strong Ukraine supporter. In a Fox News interview, Trump said Graham’s support for Ukraine did not fade and described him as “very militant” on the issue.
Graham’s final public act was a visit to Kyiv, where he helped secure agreement on a sanctions package aimed at countries that buy Russian oil, gas and other exports. A person familiar with Zelenskyy’s schedule said he also planned to meet senators Tuesday evening after the funeral at Washington National Cathedral.
What is in the Russia sanctions bill?
Republican leaders hope to move Graham’s sanctions legislation this week, though the Senate has other business before its August recess. The measure has dozens of supporters in both parties and is being treated by backers as a policy tribute to Graham, who died this month from a tear in his aorta.
The bill would impose tariffs on goods from the five largest buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including China and India. It would also sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military figures, Russian banks and Russian energy projects.
Ukraine’s war has also intersected with tensions in the Middle East. Zelenskyy has accused Russia of providing Iran with satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf, and he said there was a link between Russian imagery and later Iranian strikes.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Monday that he did not think Russian help to Iran was occurring “at a high level,” and said any such assistance had little effect. He also said he would raise the issue with Putin.
Ukraine and Iran’s foreign ministers spoke after Ukraine fired on at least one Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea over the weekend, according to statements posted Tuesday. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv’s focus is defending against Russia and that Ukraine did not intend to target civilians; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was not seeking escalation but wanted losses addressed after Iran said at least one sailor was killed.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.