Trump contradicts Zelensky’s claims of a deal on Patriot license

U.S. President Donald Trump said he has not yet made a decision on granting Ukraine the right to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, effectively contradicting statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that an agreement had been reached with Washington.

Trump made the remarks in an interview with the Financial Times.

“I’m not sure. We’re looking at it,” Trump said when asked about the license. — “It’s an exceptional weapon, and we should be a little careful about who we license. Actually, we don’t really practice licensing equipment very much.”

These words diverge from what Trump said at the NATO summit in Turkey earlier this month, where he told Zelensky: “We’ll give you a license to produce Patriot.” They also contradict a statement Zelensky made after that meeting on Fox News — that Trump had “agreed to give us licenses” to produce the interceptors.

On July 28, Trump and Zelensky met at the White House. The talks covered Patriot missile production, urgent missile needs, and diplomatic efforts to end the war. Zelensky described the meeting as “good” and said he had requested an emergency package of 300 Patriot interceptors before winter, warning that Ukraine’s stockpiles were nearly exhausted.

Nevertheless, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, acknowledged that no new supply commitments had been secured.

“We need missiles this winter. Without them, a great many people will die this winter,” she told reporters.

According to media reports, Zelensky’s visit was constructive, but no new supply agreements were concluded.

Several hours after the White House meeting, Russia launched a massive missile and drone strike on Ukraine, hitting Kyiv, Lviv, Kryvyi Rih, and other cities. A Russian cruise missile also violated Polish airspace. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Warsaw would consider transferring additional Patriot missiles to Ukraine “if necessary.”

Stefanishyna noted that even in the most optimistic scenario, production of Patriot interceptors on Ukrainian soil could not begin for at least 10–12 months, and reaching full capacity would take up to five years. Potential obstacles include Boeing, which manufactures the seeker heads for PAC-3 missiles and has not transferred the relevant license to third countries.

Trump framed his caution as part of broader peacemaking efforts.

“To put it very simply, we want to end the war in Ukraine with Russia. I’m not looking for missiles. We’re looking for peace,” he said.

Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are expected to visit Ukraine in the coming days as part of renewed diplomatic efforts. During his Washington visit, Zelensky met with executives from Lockheed Martin and RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies), which manufacture Patriot interceptors, to discuss accelerating joint production.