Zelensky: Production of Patriot missile systems in Ukraine requires agreements on technical aspects

SadaNews - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that agreements on "technical aspects" still need to be reached before Ukraine can begin producing missiles for the "Patriot" systems.

The Ukrainian president was speaking after meeting with his American counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit Thursday evening in Ankara.

Trump announced in a press statement with Zelensky on Wednesday that he would allow Kyiv to manufacture missiles for these systems, which are essential for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles targeting Ukraine.

Zelensky, in a voice message responding to reporters' questions, said, "After our agreement with Trump, our teams, diplomats, and the foreign and defense ministries currently need to finalize all remaining technical details."

He described his meeting with Trump as "constructive," even though the relationship between the two had been tense for a long time, according to the "Agence France-Presse."

Trump did not discuss the conditions or timeline for granting a license to manufacture the "PAC-3" missiles used in the "Patriot" systems. It remains unclear whether Ukraine has the capacity to produce these expensive missiles in the near future.

Zelensky indicated on Thursday that he wishes to work on acquiring this capability "as soon as possible and start manufacturing in Ukraine."

However, producing these missiles on Ukrainian territory will take several years and will not meet Kyiv's urgent needs, especially as the war in the Middle East has depleted U.S. stockpiles.

According to the U.S. FPRI research center, manufacturing a PAC-3 missile takes a month, while producing its engine takes 30 months.