Trump responds positively to request for Patriot missiles, Zelenskyy says
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump (press service of the Office of the President)
US President Donald Trump responded positively to a request for additional missiles for Patriot systems, but did not publicly confirm a final decision, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Évian, France.
Zelenskyy says this is truly a major challenge because production in the United States is not as large as Ukraine's needs.
Ukraine requests licenses to produce missiles
According to Zelenskyy, during the talk, he also raised the issue of missile production licenses.
The head of state noted that he is well aware of the complexity of producing Patriot systems and missiles for them, as he has repeatedly discussed the matter with the management of Raytheon.
But in any case, Ukraine wants to increase its production if the company is willing and if President Trump supports this idea. For now, Zelenskyy says, he was positive.
When asked by a journalist whether Trump's positive response meant actual agreement, Zelenskyy replied that he hopes that when President Trump is positive, it means yes.
Patriot systems for Ukraine
Patriot systems are one of Ukraine's key needs because they are capable of intercepting both cruise and ballistic missiles.
Back in December 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv had asked the United States to grant licenses for Patriot production. According to him, Washington did not refuse, but no specific decision was made at the time.
Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine needs an additional 12–15 Patriot systems or similar air defense complexes to protect its skies.
