Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said US President Donald Trump has made a “final decision” to allow Ukraine to obtain licences to produce Patriot interceptor missiles domestically, potentially giving Kyiv a longer-term way to strengthen its air-defence capabilities.
“At our last meeting, President emphasised to me that yes, I have made a final decision. Ukraine will receive licences for the production of Patriot missiles,” Zelenskyy said, according to AFP.
The announcement follows weeks of uncertainty over the proposal.
Trump had previously appeared to back away from granting Kyiv a licence to manufacture Patriot interceptors, as per AFP.
Trump and Zelenskyy met on the sidelines of the in New York earlier this week.
Zelenskyy said the two leaders discussed possible “de-escalatory steps” that could create a path towards diplomacy.
He also said their teams were continuing work on establishing Patriot interceptor production in Ukraine.
The issue has been a long-standing priority for Kyiv as it seeks to strengthen its ability to counter Russia’s ballistic missiles and other long-range attacks.
Ukraine has been facing shortages of Patriot interceptors as Russia has intensified its missile and drone attacks.
The is among the most advanced air-defence systems supplied to Ukraine and is particularly important for countering ballistic missile threats.
Kyiv has therefore repeatedly urged its allies to provide additional interceptors while seeking permission to manufacture the missiles domestically.
During a meeting with at the 2026 NATO summit in , Trump had said the US would allow Ukraine to build the missiles.
“We’ll show them how to do it,” Trump said, according to Euronews, adding that domestic production would address Ukrainian concerns about insufficient supplies.
The shortage has become a significant concern as Russia continues to launch missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.
said last month that Ukraine would need around 5% of the US stock of Patriot interceptors to get through the winter and about 10% to intercept all of Russia’s ballistic missiles, according to AFP.
With winter approaching, Kyiv has renewed calls for additional assistance, particularly to protect electricity, heating and other critical infrastructure.
A production licence would represent a shift from Ukraine being almost entirely dependent on foreign supplies of Patriot interceptors towards developing a domestic production capability.
However, the immediate challenge remains unchanged: Ukraine needs more interceptors now, while building a domestic production line will take time.
For Kyiv, the licence is likely to provide a longer-term solution to its air-defence supply problem.
