President Donald Trump Says He Is Still Reviewing Ukraine’s Request to Manufacture Patriot Missile Systems While Kyiv Intensifies Military, Diplomatic and Economic Pressure on Moscow
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he has not yet decided whether to authorize Ukraine to produce Patriot missile systems as the war with Russia continues.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said he was “not sure” about granting Kyiv a license to manufacture the missile systems and noted that the issue remains under review.
“It’s a very extraordinary weapon, and … we have to be a little bit careful of who we license to. We don’t really license equipment,” Trump said.
His comments came just days after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, where the two leaders discussed the ongoing conflict and the future of Patriot missile systems.
Following the meeting, Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X that he had a “good meeting with” Trump in the Oval Office and that they discussed “licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help.”
“We also spoke about diplomacy—it’s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated. Our teams will arrange the details of their further communication,” Zelenskyy added. “I am grateful to the United States for its firm support.”
Patriot missile systems remain a critical component of Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. The missiles are produced by major U.S. defense contractors Lockheed Martin and RTX, formerly known as Raytheon.
Trump also told the Financial Times that ending the war between Ukraine and Russia remains a top priority, reaffirming one of the central foreign policy commitments of his 2024 presidential campaign.
“Very simply put, we want the war in Ukraine with Russia ended,” Trump said. “I’m not looking for missiles. We’re looking for peace.”
Earlier this month, Zelenskyy warned that Russia has been assisting Iran during the conflict by capturing satellite imagery of U.S. military bases in the Gulf region, which he said later appeared in Iran. The Ukrainian president also claimed there was a “clear correlation” between Russia’s imagery and subsequent Iranian strikes.
Iran has long been one of Russia’s key allies throughout the war in Ukraine and has supported Moscow in expanding its drone capabilities. However, on Monday, Trump downplayed the significance of any potential Russian assistance to Iran.
“I don’t think they’ve been doing it, certainly not at a high level,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One during a trip to Michigan. “And if they have, it has been very un-impactful.”
Also this month, Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian forces had carried out an attack on a vessel in the Caspian Sea that he said was supplying assistance to Tehran, prompting warnings from several Iranian officials.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X on Sunday that Zelenskyy had allegedly “attacked an Iranian commercial vessel, killing a sailor,” claiming the operation was “done at Israel’s behest to drag Europe into its war.” He added that the incident “cannot go unanswered,” but did not provide further details.
Zelenskyy’s request for Patriot production and Trump’s response also come as Ukraine continues to escalate pressure on Russia across multiple fronts.
According to the Ukrainian media outlet The Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian forces launched overnight long-range strikes on Wednesday that hit two of Russia’s largest oil refineries, further increasing Kyiv’s economic, military and diplomatic pressure on Moscow.
