Zelenskyy Says Trump Made ‘Final Decision’ to Allow Ukraine to Make Patriot Missiles

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that the Trump administration would allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles, which Kyiv has been suggesting for months amid the ongoing war with Russia.

Zelenskyy wrote on social media that he met with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the country’s military efforts, adding that U.S. officials will speak with the Russian government before coming to Ukraine with a proposal in 10 days.

“There are concrete agreements regarding Patriot licenses,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “At our meeting, President Trump stressed that he had made his final decision: Ukraine will receive licenses to produce Patriot missiles.”

Trump and Zelenskyy met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City earlier this week.

Zelenskyy added on social media that the Trump administration proposed organizing three-way talks between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia. So far, the U.S. side hasn’t provided a date but wanted it to be held in the United Arab Emirates, he said.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

In early July, Trump suggested the U.S. government could grant Ukraine a license to produce the missiles, but he later appeared to backtrack, saying that the administration was “not sure” about making such a decision.

“It’s a very extraordinary weapon, and … we have to be a little bit careful of who we license to. We don’t really license equipment,” Trump told the Financial Times in late July.

Patriot missiles are a key part of Ukraine’s missile defense system against Russian strikes. They are manufactured by major U.S. defense companies Lockheed Martin and RTX, formerly called Raytheon.

Patriots are currently the only system in Ukrainian service capable of intercepting the Russian Iskander-M, S-400, and Zircon missiles, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said in August. The United States and its allies operate other anti-ballistic systems, including THAAD and sea-based Aegis defenses, but they have not been provided to Ukraine.

While speaking to the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday, Zelenskyy told world leaders that large and small nations should continue to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war.

“Sanctions, support packages, our joint weapons production … all of this matters. … All of this makes us stronger,” he said, according to a transcript from his office.

Also explaining why Ukraine is attacking Russian oil infrastructure, Zelenskyy said that “oil itself is not Ukraine’s target,” but it’s an attempt to harm Russia’s capacity to finance the war.

“Russia’s finances and Russia’s production are what must be stopped if Putin is to be stopped,” he said.

Earlier this week, Trump, via a post on Truth Social, called on Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil facilities, saying it’s driving up the cost of diesel and gasoline around the world. It came after Kyiv launched a significant drone-based attack on oil refineries in Moscow earlier this month.

“This ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine must be ended,” Trump also said on Truth Social. “The whole World suffers as 25,000 people, mostly soldiers, are being killed each month. What a shame!”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.