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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that US President Donald Trump had made a “final decision” to grant Kyiv licences to produce Patriot air defence missiles, days after the two leaders met in New York.
The statement comes a day after a US State Department spokesperson said that Washington was still discussing the matter and that no final decision had been made.
“At our last meeting, President Trump emphasised to me that yes, I have made a final decision. Ukraine will receive licences for the production of Patriot missiles,” Zelensky said in a voice note to journalists.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, where they discussed Ukraine’s need for additional Patriot supplies.
Zelensky had earlier said Trump was “positive” about granting the licences and that Kyiv had asked Washington to accelerate the process.
Details of the licence and the timeline for its transfer have not been disclosed.
Ukraine seeks domestic Patriot missile production
Ukraine has been seeking permission to manufacture Patriot missiles domestically as it faces shortages of air defence interceptors, particularly those used to counter Russian ballistic missiles.
Zelensky said Ukraine had held talks with RTX, formerly known as Raytheon, the US company that manufactures Patriot systems and missiles. According to the Ukrainian president, the company had indicated its willingness to cooperate in setting up production in Ukraine.
He previously estimated that setting up production could take 12 to 18 months after the necessary approvals are obtained.
Zelensky has also said that Ukraine needs its own missile production capabilities even as it develops an indigenous anti-ballistic missile system.
Ukraine reaches separate deal for Patriot missiles
Separately, Zelensky said Ukraine had reached an agreement on a new package of missiles for Patriot air defence systems, but declined to identify the country supplying them or disclose the number involved.
“Today we reached an agreement — I won't say with whom — on a package of missiles for the Patriot systems. This is an important decision,” Zelensky said on September 24, according to Ukrainian media reports.
He said the missiles would be delivered soon but did not specify when or how many Ukraine would receive.
Zelensky has said Ukraine received three times fewer missiles from its partners this year to counter ballistic threats than it did last year, citing fighting in the Middle East as one of the reasons for the shortage.
Separately, congressional records dated September 15 indicated that the United States was ready to approve the transfer of 10 Patriot interceptors from Germany to Ukraine.
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