US continues talks with Ukraine on Patriot missile production – Reuters
The United States is continuing negotiations on granting Ukraine permission to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, which Kyiv urgently needs to defend against Russian attacks, despite US President Donald Trump expressing doubts about such an agreement.
Source: Reuters, citing sources familiar with the negotiations
Details: Reuters sources said one of the options under discussion would allow Ukraine to manufacture certain components that would then be sent to other European countries for final assembly.
"No order was given to halt the discussions," one source told Reuters, adding that talks with US arms manufacturers, military officials and other stakeholders are continuing.
According to four Reuters sources, the options being considered include producing Patriot components in Ukraine and shipping them to Germany for final assembly, integrating Ukraine into Lockheed Martin's existing US-European Patriot interceptor programme, or granting Kyiv permission to manufacture a lower-cost version of the PAC-3 interceptor.
A senior Trump administration official said the US is "exploring several potential pathways for future defence industrial cooperation with Ukraine", while stressing that any agreement must prioritise the protection of US technology.
Reuters noted that even if Ukraine secures an agreement to produce Patriot interceptors, it is unlikely to receive newly manufactured missiles for at least a year, and possibly longer. To meet its immediate defence needs, Ukraine will still require interceptor missiles supplied by allies from their existing stockpiles.
Lockheed Martin said it remains a committed security partner for the US, Ukraine and NATO allies.
"We stand ready to support a path forward for Ukraine," a company spokesperson said, without providing further details.
US officials said discussions about licensing the production of American weapons in Europe have intensified since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 exposed significant gaps in European weapons stockpiles. Some licensing agreements have already been concluded.
However, officials cautioned that establishing new production lines is a lengthy process, with manufacturing typically beginning only three to seven years after a licensing agreement is signed.
Previously:
- The Financial Times learned that US President Donald Trump had declined President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's request for hundreds of additional interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defence system during a meeting at the White House.
- At the end of July, Trump also said he had not yet decided whether to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles.
- Commenting on the possibility of granting such permission, Trump said the US has to be "very careful" regarding the issue.
Background: Zelenskyy pointed out that Ukraine has three times fewer anti-ballistic missiles than it did in 2025, despite its partners having stocks available.
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