At the NATO summit in Ankara, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump. Kyiv described the talks positively: deputy head of the presidential office Serhii Kyslytsia said it was “one of the best, if not the best meetings.”
The main outcome was Trump’s statement that he was ready to grant Ukraine a license to produce missiles for Patriot systems. These missiles remain crucial for Ukraine’s air defense, which has repeatedly faced shortages.
The shortage became especially acute after the war in Iran: within a few weeks, the US and its Middle Eastern allies used hundreds of Patriot missiles, reducing American stockpiles and limiting supplies to Kyiv. According to The Wall Street Journal, Lockheed Martin produced 600 such missiles last year. At the same time, Ukrainian intelligence estimates that Russia is currently producing 60 to 65 Iskander ballistic missiles per month.
The New York Times reported that Trump’s announcement was likely spontaneous. Trump himself acknowledged that the White House had not yet informed any of the US companies involved in Patriot production. It is also unclear whether State Department officials, who oversee export licenses, had been briefed in advance.
As the newspaper notes, the permit itself is only the first step. Assembling the missiles in Ukraine would require supply chains for numerous complex components, including propellant mixtures, nozzles, igniters, and guidance systems. Experts cited by NYT say the transition from a license to mass production could take several years.
For that reason, Washington’s statement should be seen primarily as a political signal of support rather than a guarantee of rapid additional military aid. Until now, the US has officially granted Patriot production licenses only to Germany and Japan. Berlin received such permission in 2024, but the German military has still not received a single missile; the first deliveries are expected only in 2027.