Ukraine to accelerate Patriot missile system production efforts

US President Donald Trump has given his approval for Ukraine to produce its own Patriot interceptor missiles domestically. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he received political approval from Trump during their meeting at the NATO summit in Turkey, and now the focus is on taking practical steps to begin production.

Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of starting domestic production as soon as possible, given the current shortage of global supplies. Ukraine has been relying on donations of Patriot missiles from its allies for defense against Russia’s invasion, but the rate of use exceeds production capabilities in the US.

The Ukrainian leader had previously pressed the US to allow Ukraine to produce the missiles itself to address the supply shortage. Trump assured Zelenskyy that a license would be granted, allowing Ukraine to manufacture Patriots on its own.

Zelenskyy also reported reaching agreements with European allies during the summit, including securing more PAC-3 interceptors. He stated that he believed the summit was productive for Ukraine and expressed gratitude for President Trump’s support.

However, an adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister warned that setting up domestic production of the mobile systems would take several months due to bottlenecks in the production cycle. The main obstacle is time, rather than technical or organizational capacity, according to Serhii Beskrestnov.

The US president praised Zelenskyy for his efforts and expressed determination to facilitate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Trump acknowledged that finding a peaceful solution would be challenging but noted progress made in recent weeks.

Source: Al Jazeera