Trump intends to grant Ukraine and Europe licenses to produce American weapons

According to Bloomberg, citing sources, the Trump administration is considering weapons production licensing as the fastest way to strengthen allies’ defense capabilities.

Specifically, the discussion concerns scarce missiles for air defense systems.

The outlet notes that American weapons stockpiles were significantly depleted after the war with Iran, and expanding domestic production in the United States will take time. That is why licensing is being considered a priority instrument.

Following the G7 summit, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz commented in detail on the substance of the proposal:

“The specific licenses in question will be discussed in detail between the participating countries. This does indeed involve American companies providing comprehensive licenses to European manufacturers. We are all facing the problem of currently producing too little — and this can be offset by granting licenses to companies that have the necessary production capacity. Among them are both European and Ukrainian companies,” Merz said.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that the head of the White House “insisted on mobilizing the American defense industry and ensuring the ability to supply such equipment.”

Bloomberg notes that Washington has traditionally been extremely cautious about transferring military technologies and licenses, fearing intellectual property leaks and supply chain risks. Nevertheless, certain types of American weaponry are already manufactured abroad: in particular, missiles for Patriot systems are produced in Germany.

Trump himself previously said he would consider the request from Ukraine and the EU for licenses. Earlier, media reported that Ukraine is unable to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles due to a shortage of air defense assets and an increase in attacks.