During a video call on Friday, President Trump informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States would grant Ukraine licences to manufacture Patriot air‑defence missiles—Zelensky recorded the exchange in a voice note that now circulates on social media.
This decision follows a July statement where Trump said it would be “pretty cool” to grant licences, only to retract the offer later, saying the U.S. must be very careful before authorising production.
Ukraine has been short of Patriot interceptors since February, when the U.S. and Israel diverted systems to the Middle East. Zelensky said Kyiv needs 5 % of U.S. Patriot missiles to survive winter and 10 % to counter all Russian ballistic threats.
Last Friday a Russian drone struck a Kyiv apartment block, killing a 14‑year‑old boy and leaving the ninth and tenth floors charred. In Odesa a postal facility was hit, killing another resident. Mykyta Sysoyev, a 23‑year‑old IT specialist, described waking to an explosion and finding his building ablaze.
Even with licences, building a manufacturing line will exceed a year, meaning Kyiv’s immediate shortage will not be resolved. The U.S. State Department will likely issue the licences after a National Security Council review, with Congress expected to weigh the decision.