Kyiv wants to launch the production of Patriot missiles
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that US President Donald Trump has made a final decision to grant Kyiv licenses for the production of missiles for Patriot air defense systems. According to him, it could take about a year and a half to establish production facilities in Ukraine.
Kyiv wants to launch the production of Patriot missiles
According to the AFP agency on September 25, citing Zelenskyy's online conversation with journalists, this issue was discussed at a meeting with Trump in New York within the framework of the UN General Assembly session.
Zelenskyy said that the parties had reached concrete agreements. Trump emphasized that he had made a final decision during the last meeting and that Ukraine would receive licenses to produce Patriot missiles. The Ukrainian leader did not disclose other details of the agreement.
In July, there were also reports that Washington had agreed to grant Kyiv a license to produce air defense system missiles. At that time, high-ranking Ukrainian officials stated that the parties were ready to move to the implementation stage of the agreement.
However, shortly after, the issue of granting the license became uncertain again. Trump stated that his priority was not missiles, but ending the war started by Russia.
In early September, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that negotiations on granting the license had resumed. Zelenskyy, however, noted that even if the license is obtained, it would take about a year and a half to establish missile production on Ukrainian territory.
According to sources of the "Suspilne" media company in the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyiv is negotiating the production of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles.
The PAC-3 uses a kinetic hit-to-kill method to destroy targets directly. It is considered one of the weapons capable of shooting down ballistic missiles that Russia is using against Ukraine.
The PAC-2, on the other hand, is equipped with a warhead and neutralizes a ballistic target by exploding near it.
AFP notes that Patriot systems play an important role in protecting Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. However, the country lacks both these systems and interceptor missiles. The agency wrote that the war of the US and Israel against Iran has further exacerbated the global shortage of these missiles.