Trump made ‘final decision’ to give Ukraine Patriot licence, Zelensky says

US President Donald Trump assured President Volodymyr Zelensky that he would allow Kyiv to produce advanced Patriot air defence missiles, the Ukrainian leader said Friday. Kyiv is facing a shortage of the missiles, which remain the only ones reliably able to counter the ballistic missiles that Russia launches at Ukraine. "At our last meeting, President Trump emphasised to me that yes, I have made a final decision. Ukraine will receive licences for the production of Patriot missiles," Zelensky said in a voice note to journalists. In July, Trump said it would be "pretty cool" to grant Ukraine the licences, before backtracking, saying the US should be "very careful" before granting Ukraine authorisation. Ukraine has reported an acute shortage of Patriot interceptors since the US States and Israel went to war with Iran in February, diverting supplies of the advanced systems. Read moreFor Ukrainians guarding Kyiv’s airspace, Patriot missiles could be a game changer Even if the licences are granted, establishing industrial capacity would require more than a year and would not meet Kyiv's immediate needs. And Kyiv has renewed calls for urgent support ahead of winter, and the threat of a r...