'Make Them Yourself': Trump Grants Ukraine a License to Build Its Own Patriot Interceptors

ANKARA, Turkey — President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday that the United States would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture its own Patriot missile interceptors, a significant concession to a country that has spent years pleading for more of the coveted air-defense weapons.

"One of the things we're going to be talking about is, you'll — we're going to give a license to you to make Patriots," Trump said during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit. "This way he can't complain that we're not giving him enough. I said, 'Make them yourself.'" The president added that American stockpiles were limited: "We have Patriots, but we don't have that many. We need them for ourselves, too."

The Patriot system, built by Raytheon, is among the most effective defenses Ukraine has against the Russian ballistic missiles and drones that have battered its cities. But the interceptors are expensive and produced in limited numbers, and Kyiv has repeatedly warned that supply cannot keep pace with the scale of Russian attacks. "We all value the Patriot system. It's an excellent system," Zelensky said in his summit address. "But today's wars have shown current Patriot production is not enough."

It remains unclear where the licensed interceptors would actually be built. Two people familiar with the discussions said the missiles would most likely be manufactured in Germany or another European country rather than inside Ukraine, to avoid handing Russian forces an obvious target for strikes. Trump suggested the details were still being worked out, saying, "Once we explain it, we'll bring the company here."

The offer marks a notable shift for Trump, who spent much of his term pressing Kyiv to make concessions to Moscow and questioning the scale of U.S. aid. Allowing Ukraine to co-produce interceptors would give it a more durable, self-sustaining defense rather than leaving it dependent on periodic shipments that Washington has at times slowed or paused. Russia has intensified its bombardment in recent weeks, launching record barrages of drones and missiles that have overwhelmed Ukrainian defenses and killed civilians in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa, lending urgency to Zelensky's plea for more firepower.

The announcement capped a NATO gathering that leaders framed as a show of unity behind Kyiv. In a summit declaration published this week, the alliance pledged €70 billion in military equipment, assistance and training for Ukraine in 2026 and affirmed commitments to sustain at least equivalent levels in 2027. Zelensky again pressed for a clear path to NATO membership, thanking Trump for the meeting even as the war with Russia grinds toward its fifth year with no cease-fire in sight.