Trump to grant Ukraine license to produce Patriot missiles

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will grant Ukraine a license to produce the crucial Patriot air defense system, a vital asset needed to repel deadly Russian assaults. However, Trump did not specify when this commitment would be implemented.

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One of the things we will discuss is we will give you a license to produce the Patriot. That's something great, isn't it? We haven't told the companies about this yet, but everything will go well.

Ukraine has faced difficulties intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, partly due to the impact of the U.S.-Iran conflict this year affecting supplies of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors. "One of the things we will discuss is we will give you a license to produce the Patriot. That's something great, isn't it? We haven't told the companies about this yet, but everything will go well," Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outside the NATO Summit in Ankara, without elaborating further.

Recent Russian missile and drone attacks on Wednesday killed 10 people across Ukraine, including three in the capital, Kyiv, according to local officials. Ukrainian military analyst Sergiy Zgurets noted that Russia holds an advantage in ballistic missiles and exploits Ukraine's limited Patriot system stock to target Kyiv. "This allows the adversary to use such attacks as a form of psychological pressure," he told AFP.

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This allows the adversary to use such attacks as a form of psychological pressure.

However, given the lengthy production period, a license to manufacture the Patriot, one of the world's most advanced air defense missile systems, is unlikely to immediately resolve Ukraine's defense problems. According to the U.S. Foreign Policy Research Institute, producing a Patriot air defense missile takes up to 24 months, with engine construction requiring approximately 30 months. Despite Russia's intensified bombing campaigns recently, Ukraine has managed to stabilize its front lines and launch deep strikes into Russian territory in recent months. Trump suggested these actions could help end the war, stating, "It's an escalation, but it's also an escalation that can help bring about the end of the war."

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It's an escalation, but it's also an escalation that can help bring about the end of the war.