US, Ukraine negotiate Patriot missile production license, top diplomat says

The United States and Ukraine are negotiating a potential agreement that would allow Kyiv to obtain a license to produce interceptor missiles for Patriot air defence systems domestically, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Rubio confirmed that Washington and Kyiv were discussing the possibility of licensing Ukraine to manufacture its own Patriot interceptors, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

Asked about the potential transfer of such a license, Rubio said: “Well, that's being negotiated as we speak. But, as I have already said, this is not an immediate solution.”

Rubio cautioned that even if an agreement were reached, establishing full-scale production would take years, as specialized facilities capable of manufacturing such sophisticated weapons would have to be built.

He said a license alone would therefore not resolve Ukraine’s urgent short-term shortage of Patriot interceptors.

Rubio also described air defence interceptors as the most sought-after category of weaponry worldwide, noting that demand extends beyond Ukraine to countries in the Middle East.

“Before providing assistance to other countries, the United States must ensure that its own defence stockpiles are sufficient, and the availability of equipment, rather than political will, is the main limiting factor,” the official said.

The secretary of state stressed that the United States had provided Ukraine with more assistance than any other country and continued to support Kyiv within Washington’s available capabilities.

Rubio added that the potential use of Ukrainian drone-manufacturing technologies in cooperation with the United States was also under discussion, although no specific agreements or announcements had been made.

During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit on July 8, US President Donald Trump said Washington could grant Ukraine a license to produce missiles for Patriot air defence systems. Late last week, however, Trump said the United States should be “very cautious” about transferring such a license.

In August, US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker said an agreement with Ukraine on Patriot missile production would not be reached before winter.

By Vafa Guliyeva