Trump offers Patriot production to Ukraine

Ankara, July 8 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that the United States would allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors, signalling a potentially significant expansion of military cooperation with Kyiv as he praised President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership and expressed optimism about ending the war with Russia.

Meeting Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said the two leaders had developed a strong working relationship and would discuss Ukraine’s air defence needs, possible peace negotiations and future security arrangements.

“So, we had a really good meeting, and we thought this would be a good time for President Zelensky and I to meet, and we’ll see what we can do, but we’ve actually developed a good relationship,” Trump said.

Zelensky said he hoped the talks would focus on strengthening Ukraine’s air defences as well as efforts to end the war.

The most significant announcement came when Trump revealed that Washington was prepared to permit Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors domestically.

“But one of the things I think we’re going to be talking about today, just a little birdie told me this about the fact that we’ll give them the right to make Patriots, we’ll show them how to do it,” Trump said.

“We haven’t informed the company of that, but that’ll work out.”

He later added that the United States would immediately provide Ukraine with “some” Patriot interceptors while expressing confidence that Kyiv would be able to produce its own “pretty quickly.”

The Patriot system has become one of Ukraine’s most sought-after air defence assets as Russia has intensified missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.

Trump also offered unusually warm praise for Zelensky, crediting him with effectively leading Ukraine’s defence against Russia despite the overwhelming size of Moscow’s military.

“He’s done an amazing job. Look, he’s been very effective,” Trump said.

“Now he’s had the best equipment, because he has had our equipment… but somebody has to use that equipment, and you have a lot of brave people that are using that equipment, and Russia, you know, it’s a big, big country, but it’s a big force.”

Asked whether he was prepared to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, Trump declined to specify possible measures but insisted pressure already existed.

“There’s a lot of pressure, President Putin, to get it done. I think there’s pressure on everybody to get that one done, a lot of pressure,” he said.

He also declined to set a deadline for reaching a peace agreement.

On future security arrangements, Trump suggested the United States would work alongside European allies if negotiations produced a settlement.

“Well, we’re going to work on a security guarantee that… Russia respects us a lot, and we’re going to work on some kind of a security if we can make the right deal, we’ll help Europe,” he said.

Trump also indicated that he would be willing to travel to Ukraine.

“I would go to Ukraine,” he said.

Zelensky, meanwhile, questioned Russia’s current battlefield position, saying he believed Moscow’s military momentum had weakened.

“I think that they are changing in any way, because at the very beginning of full scale war he was stronger, and now I think he is losing initiative on the battle,” the Ukrainian President said.

When Trump jokingly asked whether Zelensky would visit Moscow, the Ukrainian leader replied that doing so would be difficult because “there are a lot of Ukrainian drones there.”

The meeting also highlighted expanding defence cooperation beyond traditional weapons supplies.

Trump said Washington and Kyiv were discussing a drone partnership under which the United States would procure Ukrainian-made drones while continuing to expand its own production.

“Well, we would buy their drones, and we make drones, we make great drones, but they have an ability to make a lot of them,” he said.

“I think we’re going to make that deal.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said one of the major changes in the conflict had been Ukraine’s growing ability to challenge Russian air superiority.

“I think that’s one of the dynamics that’s changed in this war over the last few months, and that is that the Russians are finding it more difficult to defend their own airspace,” Rubio said.

Trump’s meeting with Zelensky came immediately after NATO leaders concluded summit discussions focused on collective defence, Ukraine and the broader European security environment.

The United States has been Ukraine’s largest military supporter since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, providing advanced air defence systems, armoured vehicles, long-range weapons and intelligence support. Patriot batteries have played a critical role in defending Ukrainian cities against Russian ballistic missile attacks.

–IANS

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