U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he has yet to decide whether to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot surface-to-air intercept missiles, raising doubts about whether Washington will approve one of Kyiv's top priorities.
In a phone interview with the Financial Times on Thursday, Trump stated he was "unsure" if Washington would grant Kyiv a license to produce Patriot missiles, adding, "We are considering it."
He further noted, "It's an extremely exceptional weapon, and we must be somewhat cautious about whom we grant production licenses to. We typically don't grant licenses for (military) equipment."
Moreover, Trump emphasized his focus on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, revealing that his envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, would visit Ukraine for the first time in the coming days.
He concluded by stating, "Quite simply, we want to end the war in Ukraine with Russia. I'm not seeking missiles; I'm seeking peace."
"Good Meeting"
Trump's statements followed his meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Tuesday.
Following the hour-long meeting, Zelensky announced that he had a "good meeting" with Trump, discussing production licenses for Patriot air defense systems and reactivating the diplomatic pathway with Russia.
He wrote on the platform "X": "Good meeting with President Trump," adding, "We discussed production licenses for Patriot intercept missiles and other ideas that could help" counter Russia's military operation that began in early 2022.
He continued, "We also talked about diplomacy, and it's important to reinvigorate the diplomatic path." He also expressed gratitude to the U.S. for its unwavering support, asserting that his team and Trump's team would work on arranging communication for the forthcoming period.
Key Ally
Since returning to power last year, the Republican president has largely halted direct U.S. weapons shipments to Kyiv, preferring instead the "PURL" program that allows Europeans to purchase weapons and transfer them to Ukraine, according to AFP.
Nevertheless, the United States remains a key ally to Ukraine, providing crucial intelligence and access to the "Starlink" system, ensuring military communications on the front lines.
During a previous meeting in Washington in October 2025, Zelensky was unable to persuade Trump to supply Ukraine with "Tomahawk" missiles.
In a subsequent memorable encounter in February 2025, a verbal spat erupted between the two presidents on camera in the Oval Office, with Trump accusing Zelensky of being ungrateful and risking a World War III.
However, the U.S. president later changed his stance, and during their latest meeting in Turkey early in July, he expressed encouragement to Zelensky, saying he is doing a "great job."
Trump also showed willingness to allow Ukraine to produce much-needed "Patriot" air defense missiles to counter Russian strikes.
The American Patriot systems are the only ones capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, while Ukraine faces a severe shortage of "PAC-3" interceptor missiles.