Trump admits possibility of producing less modern missiles for Patriot in Ukraine
US President Donald Trump has admitted that Ukraine could receive a license to produce a less modern version of interceptor missiles for Patriot systems. At the same time, Washington has still not announced a final decision on transferring the relevant technologies.
Trump stated this on September 13 during a conversation with journalists aboard Air Force One.
The American president was asked whether Volodymyr Zelensky could obtain Patriot systems and a license for their production. In response, Trump clarified that it concerned a "significantly less modern" version.
At the same time, the US president did not explain which specific missile modification he meant. In particular, he did not specify whether it could be PAC-2, PAC-3 or another interceptor variant.
Trump also stated that the US is currently sharply increasing Patriot production. According to him, American defense enterprises are not only working under increased load, but new production facilities are being built for the output of Patriot and other types of weapons.
The current statement clarifies Washington's position after several months of conflicting signals regarding localization of production in Ukraine. In July, during a meeting with Zelensky at the NATO summit, Trump stated that the US would grant Ukraine a license to produce missiles for Patriot.
After that, Zelensky reported that at the presidential level the issue was "resolved politically", and Ukrainian and American technical teams still had to work out licensing and practical organization of production.
However, at the end of July, Trump clarified that there is no formal authorization for technology transfer yet. He explained this by the need to be careful about the spread of advanced American military developments, since a state that receives such technologies could theoretically use them against the US in the future.
Thus, Trump's latest statement indicates that negotiations on licensed production have not stopped, but Washington may limit the level of technologies available to Ukraine.
For Kyiv, the issue of domestic production of interceptors has become particularly acute due to a shortage of missiles to counter Russian ballistic missiles. Zelensky previously stated that in 2026 Ukraine is receiving several times fewer such means than last year, while Russia has increased the number of ballistic attacks. Part of the global stocks and production of American interceptors also had to be directed to the needs of the war in the Middle East.
Ukraine is simultaneously trying to increase current Patriot supplies from partners. In early September, Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara reported that Kyiv, with the support of allies and funds from a European loan, is contracting about 1000 missiles for these systems, but a significant part of deliveries is scheduled for the coming years.
Based on materials: video of Donald Trump's conversation with journalists, Defense News
