President Trump said Wednesday at the NATO summit in Ankara that the U.S. will give Ukraine a production license to build its own Patriot missile interceptors, a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Mr. Trump said the companies behind the Patriot system — Lockheed Martin and RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon) — had not been informed of the decision.
Mr. Trump said, "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, it's very complex actually. But it's — you'll figure out the complexity quickly." He added, "We're going to give a license to you to make Patriots."
Mr. Trump said the U.S. does not plan to give Ukraine more Patriots because the U.S. needs the equipment.
A Ukrainian reporter asked, "When will he end this war?" "That's a good question," Mr. Trump responded. "I don't think I've ever asked him that question. I'm going to ask him that question." He said he would be speaking with President Vladimir Putin later.
In May, Zelenskyy said, "I asked previous administration, I am asking today's administration — give Ukraine licenses. We will increase the production of Patriot missiles. It will be very helpful for us, it will be very helpful for Middle East, for everybody whom United States will decide to help."
In Ankara, Mr. Trump also said he thinks the U.S. will make a deal on buying Ukrainian drones, although he did not fully commit, and the Ukrainians have "managed to far exceed expectations in defending against Russia during the war, largely thanks to their ability to adapt quickly to new technology and their advances in drone warfare."
Mr. Trump's comments highlighted his long, complicated relationship with the Ukrainian leader, including a 2019 phone call that led to Mr. Trump's first impeachment trial and a blow-up in an Oval Office meeting last year that left tensions that took time to smooth over.
After the news conference, Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social, "President Zelenskyy and I just had a News Conference with the Fake News. It went very well. Everybody is looking for a solution. Very positive!"