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Trump says US will give Patriot missile license to Ukraine during Zelensky NATO meeting

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The U.S. will issue a license for Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles, according to President Donald Trump.
  • Trump stated both Russia and Ukraine desire a settlement to the ongoing war.
  • Russia recently launched another ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, highlighting Ukraine's air defense shortages.

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot missiles, a move he described as "pretty cool." The statement came during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

We're going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That's pretty cool. This way, you can't complain that we're not giving 'em enough.

— Donald TrumpAnnouncing the U.S. will issue a license for Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles.

Trump characterized the Patriot missile as a defensive weapon, which he prefers over offensive systems. Zelensky has consistently requested these U.S.-made interceptors, which are crucial for shooting down ballistic projectiles that are difficult to counter. The U.S. president also indicated that pressure could be applied to companies manufacturing the missiles, such as Lockheed Martin, to increase production.

It's a defensive weapon, which I like better than an offensive weapon.

— Donald TrumpDescribing the Patriot missile system.

The announcement follows a recent escalation of Russian attacks on Ukraine. Russia launched its third assault on Kyiv in less than a week, utilizing ballistic missiles that Ukraine's air defenses struggled to intercept. While Ukraine successfully downed numerous drones, it failed to stop any of the five ballistic missiles used in the latest strike, underscoring the critical need for advanced air defense systems.

We have great power over the companies, those companies that make the Patriot.

— Donald TrumpDiscussing potential pressure on manufacturers to increase production.

Trump commented on the broader conflict, suggesting that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky are "difficult characters" and that both sides wish for the war to end. Zelensky, present at the meeting, expressed his desire to discuss "very important details" with Trump and his hope that the U.S. president would "do everything to stop this war."

We've settled a lot of wars, and this one is the one that I thought maybe would be the easiest, but Putin is a difficult character, and this guy's a difficult character.

— Donald TrumpCommenting on the complexities of settling the war in Ukraine.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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