Reuters. President Donald Trump said on Friday (July 31) the United States had not agreed to Ukraine building Patriot missiles, adding the U.S. had "to be very careful about letting somebody build them."
Trump made the statement as Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday he spoke with U.S. Vice President JD Vance about recent Russian air strikes, Ukraine's urgent need for air defence missiles and the consequences of Russia's war in Ukraine on global markets.
Ukraine hopes a new push for ceasefire talks with Russia could halt the five-year war before a potentially brutal winter, but needs new anti-ballistic missiles now to defend against strikes by Moscow, the country's envoy to Washington said on Thursday (July 30).
Olha Stefanishyna told reporters that Ukraine was in discussions with the Pentagon about a license to produce Patriot PAC-3 missiles itself, but that process could take 12 months to five years. Discussions were also underway about Ukraine agreeing to a long-term purchase of PAC-3 missiles, and then swapping positions in the production line with another buyer.
Officials from Patriot maker Raytheon Co had already been to Ukraine, and Lockheed Martin Corp LMT.N, which builds the PAC-3 interceptors for the air defence system, was working to send a team of experts to the country as well, Stefanishyna told an event hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.
