President Donald Trump stated on Friday that the United States has not agreed to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles. This statement contradicts previous remarks made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following talks between the two leaders earlier this week.
During a cabinet meeting at Camp David, the first such meeting of Trump's second term, the president backed off an earlier promise to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture the air defense interceptors. The White House described the gathering at the presidential compound as something different for the cabinet to experience together.
Trump told reporters that handing over the underlying technology is a hard thing to give away and emphasized that the U.S. must be very careful about letting somebody build them. While an agreement has not been reached, the president noted that talks are ongoing.