US Presses Ahead with Patriot Production Talks for Ukraine

The United States is pressing ahead with talks on allowing Ukraine to produce Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles, despite President Donald Trump casting doubt on such an agreement last week, four sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

Options under consideration include manufacturing components in Ukraine for final assembly in Germany, adding Kyiv to an existing US-European production program or allowing it to build a cheaper version of the PAC-3.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Saturday that the country had run out of Patriot interceptors. Only one of the 27 ballistic missiles launched by Russia that day was shot down.

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker is leading the effort and visited Kyiv last month to discuss possible arrangements. The White House declined to comment.

Even if an agreement is reached, Ukraine would not begin receiving newly produced missiles for at least a year. Kyiv is therefore continuing to ask allies to transfer interceptors from their existing stocks.

(Reuters, est)