US President Donald Trump announced that Washington will license Ukraine to produce Patriot air-defence missiles to protect the country's cities and energy grid. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that a political agreement has been reached regarding licenses for PAC-3 Patriot interceptors.
These interceptors are the only weapon in Ukraine's arsenal capable of shooting down ballistic projectiles, which are difficult to stop due to their high velocity and steep flight path. Zelensky has long pleaded for faster supplies as dwindling interceptor stockpiles have been outstripped by Russian ballistic missile attacks, including a recent strike that killed three people.
While Trump suggested Kyiv could produce the missiles "pretty quickly," other reports indicate it could be months or years before they are ready. Experts say it takes two years to produce one of the world's most sophisticated air-defence interceptors.
Zelensky stated that technical details still need to be finalised with the US before manufacturing can begin. In the meantime, key supplies of the missiles are expected to arrive in the next few days.