Ukraine May Get License for Older, Less Advanced Patriot Missiles

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday, Sept. 13, that Washington is discussing granting Ukraine a license to produce a less advanced version of Patriot interceptor missiles.According to the White House, Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“We’re talking about it… a less sophisticated version,” Trump said when asked whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would receive additional Patriot systems and production licenses.Trump did not specify which Patriot interceptor model Washington might allow Ukraine to manufacture or whether the proposal had secured approval from US defense contractors.The US president also said Washington was producing more Patriot missiles than ever before and rapidly replenishing stocks of advanced weapons previously supplied to Ukraine.Has Washington agreed to the license?Trump’s latest remarks stop short of confirming that a final agreement has been reached.During a meeting with Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8, Trump said the US would authorize Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air-defense systems.“We’ll give them the right to make Patriots. We’ll show them how to do it,” Trump said at the time. “I think they can produce them pretty quickly.”However, Trump later walked back the commitment. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting on July 31, he said the US had not agreed to transfer the technology and that discussions were continuing. Other Topics of Interest Trump Tells Zelensky to Stop ‘Knocking Out Diesel Fuel in Russia’ Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian oil refineries in recent months. Trump argued that Washington must exercise caution when sharing sensitive military technology because recipients could eventually use it against the US.Ukraine has sought permission to produce Patriot interceptors domestically as Russian ballistic and cruise missile attacks strain its limited air-defense stocks and those of its partners. The Patriot system is Ukraine’s most important defense against ballistic missiles, which many other Western-supplied systems cannot reliably intercept.Would domestic production solve Ukraine’s shortages?Even if Washington grants the license, it is unlikely that establishing production in Ukraine would provide an immediate solution.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in early September that constructing factories, organizing supply chains and increasing production would take years. Sensitive components could also remain subject to US export restrictions.Ukraine is working to secure approximately 1,000 Patriot missiles with support from its allies and an EU loan, Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara said on Sept. 8. Most of those interceptors, however, are expected to arrive over several years rather than immediately.Kyiv has consequently urged its partners to release additional missiles from their existing stockpiles while negotiations over licensed production continue. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.