President Donald Trump announced that the United States will grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors. This decision comes after more than six months of lobbying from Kyiv to secure the ability to produce the air defense systems.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had been urging European states to sell Patriot missiles to defend against Russian attacks and had asked President Trump for permission to manufacture the systems. The agreement to allow the Patriot systems to be made overseas to counter Russian ballistic attacks represents a significant coup for the nation.
During a warm meeting with Zelensky, Trump stated that a little birdie had told him about granting the right to make the missiles. While Trump noted that both Russia and Ukraine want to see the war settled, he added that both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky have been difficult.