US, Ukraine discuss drone deal and Patriot missile production

U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker said he held talks in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy focused on advancing a proposed U.S.-Ukraine drone agreement and expanding cooperation on Patriot air defence systems, including the potential localisation of missile production. 

"Great post-NATO Summit meetings today in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and senior leaders. We discussed getting President Trump's drone deal done and how to progress on Patriot interceptor. We also talked about how the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) -- coupled with Ukraine's strength and innovation -- allows it to fight another day, as we continue to work toward a durable peace," he said in a post on X.

Zelenskyy confirmed the talks, describing them as focused primarily on strengthening Ukraine’s air defence capabilities amid continued Russian strikes. In a message on his Telegram channel, he said: “A good conversation, primarily about how to defend Ukrainian airspace by increasing deliveries of interceptors for the Patriot systems under the PURL program. This is currently a key priority, as massive Russian strikes continue unabated.”

According to Zelenskyy, the meeting also covered broader elements of the bilateral defence partnership between Washington and Kyiv. This included implementation of a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture missiles for the Patriot air defence system, as well as progress on what has been referred to as a “Drone Deal” between the two countries.

Separately, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Rustem Umerov said he held a “productive meeting” with Whitaker in Kyiv. The discussions included further development of the drone agreement initiative and plans to localise production of Patriot interceptor missiles on Ukrainian territory.

Earlier this summer, Trump said he intended to grant Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot missiles domestically. He also signalled readiness to purchase Ukrainian-made drones for testing, citing interest in evaluating their combat performance.

By Tamilla Hasanova