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Zelenskiy: licenses for Patriot agreed with US at political level, interceptors to be delivered

From The Straits Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • Ukraine and the U.S. have reached a political agreement for the production of PAC-3 Patriot interceptors.
  • Key supplies of Patriot missiles are expected to arrive in Ukraine within days.
  • Discussions are also ongoing for a potential "drone deal" and joint drone production between the two countries.

Ukraine and the United States have secured a political agreement for the production of PAC-3 Patriot interceptors, a crucial air defense system, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced. This development comes as key shipments of the missiles are slated to arrive in Ukraine within the next few days, bolstering the nation's defenses against Russian ballistic missile attacks.

We resolved this issue politically. It's now very important that our technical teams, all our representatives from different ministries, representatives of the executive branch, start working on this without delay, so that we can get licenses very quickly and start production in Ukraine as soon as possible.

โ€” Volodymyr ZelenskiyOn the political agreement for Patriot missile production.

Zelenskyy, speaking to reporters after attending a NATO summit and holding talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, described the agreement on Patriot missile production as a significant step. He emphasized the importance of technical teams from both nations immediately commencing work to secure licenses and initiate production in Ukraine as soon as possible. The PAC-3 interceptor is vital for countering the ballistic missiles Russia has increasingly deployed against Ukrainian cities.

I believe this was a productive summit for Ukraine. In the coming days, weโ€™ll receive a package from the United States, and there were also some separate agreements.

โ€” Volodymyr ZelenskiyReferring to the outcomes of the NATO summit and talks with the U.S.

Beyond air defense, Ukraine and the U.S. are also engaged in discussions regarding a potential "drone deal" and joint drone production. While no formal agreement has been signed yet, preliminary documents have been exchanged, allowing the U.S. to obtain various types of Ukrainian drones and technological items for testing. These include both aerial and marine drones, as well as other advanced technologies.

but there are some documents that have already been signed so that the American side can get from Ukraine various types, different, different kinds that the United States is interested in for testing. And theyโ€™re getting them from us.

โ€” Volodymyr ZelenskiyDiscussing preliminary agreements for drone testing.

Zelenskyy also mentioned ongoing discussions with European allies regarding the development of a separate anti-missile system, with a meeting planned in France soon. He noted an improvement in his relationship with President Trump, describing their recent interactions as constructive and Trump as "positive about Ukraine." The president indicated that further diplomatic follow-ups are expected.

Trump was now 'positive about Ukraine'.

โ€” Volodymyr ZelenskiyDescribing President Trump's stance on Ukraine after recent meetings.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.