Zelenskyy explains what's still needed to produce Patriot systems in Ukraine
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Ukraine’s foreign and defense ministries must immediately begin technical work on the Patriot license so that Ukraine can launch production as soon as possible, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The political decision has been made
According to the President, the NATO summit and his meeting with Trump proved productive. Specifically, they managed to break the deadlock on the Patriot production license.
"As leaders, President Trump and I have resolved this issue positively. We have reached a political decision regarding the production of Patriot systems in Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.
He added that Trump repeatedly emphasized the technological complexity of such manufacturing.
"President Trump repeatedly stressed that today only two or three countries in the world can produce the Patriot because others are not technologically ready. The United States has recognized Ukraine as a country that is ready to do this," the President noted.
Next step: Technical groups
Now, according to Zelenskyy, everything depends on the speed of the technical groups from both countries—the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.
"It is crucial that our technical groups, all representatives from various ministries, and executive branch officials begin working on this immediately, without delay, so that we obtain the licenses as quickly as possible and begin production in Ukraine," he emphasized.
The President stressed that time is the decisive factor: "The sooner we reach an agreement, the sooner we can produce Patriots."
Zelenskyy met with Trump on July 8 in Ankara on the sidelines of the NATO summit. One of the key topics of the talks was strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and licensing Patriot production.
According to the First Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Sergiy Kyslytsya, this may have been the best meeting between the two leaders yet.
According to the Financial Times, Trump changed his tone regarding Ukraine in Ankara. European diplomats explained it briefly: "It’s relatively simple. Trump likes winners. And Ukraine, recently, has started winning."
