US reverses offer to licence Patriot missile production to Ukraine

The US has not agreed to let Ukraine build Patriot interceptor missiles, President Donald Trump said on Friday, reversing a promise made just three weeks ago. "We have not agreed to that. We're talking about it. But it's a hard thing to give away, that kind of technology," Trump told a cabinet meeting. He later told the Financial Times he was "not sure" about the proposal and that "we're looking into it".

The sudden shift undercuts assurances Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believed he secured during a White House visit earlier this week. "He accepted that he will give us licences," Zelensky told Fox News following that meeting. Trump had previously offered the licences directly at a Nato summit in Ankara, stating: "We are gonna give you a licence to make Patriots. I think they can produce them very quickly once we explain it."

For European defence planners and contractors, the reversal injects immediate volatility into long-term air defence procurement. Zelensky had used the White House trip to meet with leaders from Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the Patriot system. Domestic production would have represented a major shift in how Kyiv funds its defence, potentially easing the massive financial strain of buying individual interceptors that cost between $3m and $5m each.

Trump cited the risk of losing control over highly sensitive military hardware. "It's a very extraordinary weapon, and. . . we have to be a little bit careful of who we licence to. We don't really licence equipment," he said. "I don't think this would ever happen, but, you know, those people that you give that technology, they can someday turn on you."

Ukraine's air force has warned that a shortage of interceptors is severely limiting its ability to counter Russian ballistic missile attacks. Kyiv maintains it needs 25 Patriot systems to adequately protect its cities. The Patriot is one of the few systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles with ranges up to 1,000km, able to track eight targets simultaneously while detecting over 100.

The uncertainty over US technology transfers comes as Russian attacks continue. Zelensky condemned a recent strike that killed five members of the Voronov family, part of an overnight barrage involving more than 70 missiles and over 280 drones. Following a Friday call with Vice President JD Vance, Zelensky wrote on X that air defence "remains a top priority". Trump confirmed that envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will visit Ukraine in the coming days, adding: "Very simply put, we want the war in Ukraine with Russia ended."