Zelenskyy pushes for Patriot missile production inside Ukraine
Ukraine’s president said US approval for licences clears a political hurdle, but advisers warn production could take months.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine must move quickly to begin producing Patriot interceptor missiles at home after receiving political backing from the United States for the necessary licences. The effort matters for Kyiv’s air defences because Ukraine is burning through Patriot interceptors faster than current US production can replace them, according to AP and Reuters.
Zelenskyy spoke to reporters on Thursday after returning from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye. He said US President Donald Trump had approved the licensing issue during their meeting at the summit, leaving Ukrainian and US officials to settle the technical steps needed to start manufacturing.
The Ukrainian leader said ministries, diplomats and executive-branch officials should begin work immediately so licences can be secured quickly and production can start in Ukraine. He described the summit as productive for Kyiv and said Ukraine expected a package from the United States in the coming days, along with separate arrangements involving European allies.
US licence opens a path, but not immediate supply
Trump told Zelenskyy at a joint news conference in Ankara on Wednesday that Washington would grant Ukraine a licence to make Patriot systems, according to AP and Reuters. The US president framed the move as a way for Kyiv to address complaints about not receiving enough interceptors from allies.
Ukraine has relied on donated Patriot missiles to defend against Russia’s invasion. AP and Reuters reported that global stocks are under strain, while Kyiv’s use of the missiles has outpaced the rate at which they are made in the United States.
The Patriot is a US-made air defence system. Its PAC-3 interceptor, short for Patriot Advanced Capability-3, is among the few Western weapons able to bring down ballistic missiles, which Russia has used more often against Ukrainian cities, according to AP and Reuters.
Zelenskyy said Trump had noted that only a small number of countries can produce Patriots because of the technological demands involved. He said the United States now recognises Ukraine as ready to take on that work.
Adviser warns of long lead times
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister, cautioned that launching domestic production would take many months. Writing on Telegram, he said a licence would typically include technical documentation, specialist training, supplier contacts and foreign consultants to support the start of manufacturing.
Beskrestnov said time would be the main obstacle, rather than Ukraine’s technical or organisational ability. He pointed to bottlenecks in the supply chain, including long production cycles for some subcontracted components that could take 12 to 24 months.
During the NATO summit, Trump praised Zelenskyy’s wartime leadership, marking a warmer tone than some of his earlier criticism of the Ukrainian president. Trump also said he remained committed to pursuing a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, while acknowledging that such a settlement would be difficult.
The summit brought together leaders from NATO’s 32 member states and allied countries, including Ukraine, to discuss defence production, spending targets and continued support for Kyiv. Zelenskyy said the next stage would depend on how quickly officials can resolve the remaining licensing and technical details.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.