Rubio makes hopeful statement on Patriot production in Ukraine
Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Getty Images)
Negotiations between the United States and Ukraine over a license to produce Patriot missiles are ongoing, but launching domestic production will take time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated.
During the interview, Rubio was asked whether the United States was ready to grant Ukraine a license that would allow it to independently produce missiles for Patriot systems.
"That's being negotiated as we speak,” the Secretary of State replied.
Thus, no final decision on the license has been made yet, but talks between the two sides are ongoing.
Why production will not start immediately
At the same time, Rubio stressed that even a positive decision by the United States would not allow Ukraine to obtain domestically produced missiles quickly.
According to him, manufacturing such complex weapons requires extensive preparation. Even after receiving a license, Ukraine would need to establish the necessary production capabilities and build factories.
"Ramping up production, even if you have the license, is something that takes multiple years to build these factories," he explained.
Rubio also emphasized the complexity of Patriot missiles. Therefore, talks on licensed production could yield results in the longer term, but they will not provide a way to quickly address Ukraine’s current need for interceptors.
