Zelensky Says Trump Backs Patriot Missile Production Plan
WASHINGTON- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday he secured support from US President Donald Trump to pursue licensed production of Patriot air defence interceptors, following White House talks focused on strengthening Ukraine’s air defences as efforts to end the war with Russia remain stalled.
Zelensky met Trump for just over an hour at the White House as Ukraine and Russia continued exchanging long-range strikes and diplomatic efforts led by Washington showed little sign of progress. Following the meeting, Zelensky described the discussions as positive and said the two leaders had focused on expanding Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian missile attacks.
In an interview with Fox News after the meeting, Zelensky said Trump had agreed to provide licences that would allow Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptors. He added that he later met representatives of major US defence companies and expressed hope that the two countries would establish joint production of the air defence system.
Trump also signalled satisfaction with the meeting, posting photographs on social media and saying the talks had gone very well after discussing a wide range of issues with the Ukrainian leader.
Relations between Trump and Zelensky have improved during the US president’s second term, marking a significant shift from their contentious Oval Office meeting in February 2025. At that encounter, Trump accused Zelensky of failing to show sufficient gratitude for American support and warned that Ukraine was risking a broader international conflict.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP that Kyiv’s immediate priorities included securing additional supplies of Patriot anti-ballistic missile interceptors and finding ways to revive diplomatic efforts more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The official said obtaining US approval for the purchase of an additional package of Patriot missiles was a critical objective, as Ukraine continues to face intensified Russian missile attacks. According to the United Nations, last month was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, with Russia increasing its use of ballistic missiles that are difficult to intercept.
Since returning to office, Trump has ended direct US arms deliveries to Ukraine, instead allowing European countries to purchase American weapons on Kyiv’s behalf. Despite that policy shift, the United States remains a key security partner by providing intelligence support and access to the Starlink satellite communications network used by Ukrainian forces.
Earlier this month, during talks in Turkiye, Trump praised Zelensky’s leadership and offered Ukraine licences to manufacture Patriot missiles. Zelensky also held discussions last week with Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, on efforts to revive diplomatic negotiations after the conflict in the Middle East diverted Washington’s attention from the war in Ukraine.
Following his White House meeting, Zelensky attended a memorial service for late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters in the US Congress, before addressing senators ahead of a procedural vote on bipartisan legislation that would expand sanctions against Russia.
The Senate advanced the sanctions bill on Tuesday, moving it closer to final passage despite concerns from some Democratic lawmakers over provisions granting Trump broader authority to impose tariffs on countries purchasing Russian energy. Zelensky, who attended the vote, described it as an important step toward implementing Graham’s vision and advancing prospects for peace.
Meanwhile, relations between Washington and Moscow have cooled following Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last August. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that reports of negotiations on an aerial ceasefire were inaccurate.
Zelensky argued that heavy Russian military losses were weakening Moscow’s position on the battlefield. In his Fox News interview, he said Russia was losing around 30,000 soldiers each month and contended that the strategic initiative was no longer in President Vladimir Putin’s hands.
Hours before Zelensky met Trump, Ukraine launched hundreds of drones against targets in Russia. Moscow, meanwhile, continued its aerial campaign, launching more than 100 drones at Ukraine overnight and sustaining attacks on the Black Sea port of Odesa and vessels transporting Ukrainian agricultural exports.
