Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine has Donald Trump’s approval to build Patriot missiles. He announced it on X, writing that “concrete agreements” are in place for Ukraine to receive licenses to manufacture them.
The two leaders met at the United Nations General Assembly in New York earlier in the week. Zelensky called the outcome a “very important decision” for Ukraine’s security. The topic had come up before, at the NATO summit in Turkey, and months of negotiation preceded the decision. The deal had stalled until now, according to iHeart’s report.
The shortfall
Ukraine’s need is acute. Russian forces have increasingly used ballistic missiles, and the Patriot is one of the systems that can intercept them. Zelensky has said Ukraine holds only 10% of the missiles it needs to counter the threat properly.
No timeline has been given for when locally made missiles might become available. Russian air attacks on Ukraine continue.
Talks and warnings
In his UN speech, Zelensky described Russian President Vladimir Putin as “patient zero” in spreading war across the world. The more freedom Putin has, he said, “the more dangerous the world becomes for everyone else.”
The Hill reported that the Trump administration also floated three-way talks among the United States, Ukraine and Russia, with the United Arab Emirates mentioned as a possible venue.
