The Kremlin has responded to the U.S. decision to allow the production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine
The United States has agreed to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture missiles for the Patriot air defense systems. The Kremlin stated that this decision would allegedly complicate the negotiation process, but at the same time assured that it does not consider it an escalation.
According to Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Moscow considers Washington’s decision “misguided,” since, in the Kremlin’s view, expanding military support for Ukraine will not contribute to a peaceful settlement but will only lead to the further expansion of the so-called “buffer zone.”
At the same time, Peskov stated that Russia allegedly remains open to a diplomatic settlement and does not rule out another phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. However, the Kremlin continues to refuse to support Ukraine’s proposals for a face-to-face meeting between the presidents and a complete ceasefire.
During the NATO summit, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke highly of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s work.
“He has done an amazing job,” Trump said.
The U.S. leader also announced that Ukraine will be able to produce Patriot missiles on its own.
“We’re going to give you a license to manufacture Patriot missiles. That’s pretty cool… I said, ‘Make them yourselves,’” the U.S. president stated.
Patriot remains one of the few Western air defense systems capable of effectively intercepting the ballistic missiles with which Russia regularly attacks Ukrainian cities.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that it is becoming increasingly difficult for Russia to defend its own airspace, and that the new agreements should help create the conditions for future negotiations to end the war.
Donald Trump himself acknowledged that the decision could be interpreted as a certain escalation, but emphasized that it could bring an end to the war closer.
Despite the importance of the decision, military experts caution that full-scale production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine will not begin quickly. This is due to the complexity of the manufacturing process and strict U.S. control over the production of such high-tech weapons.
According to experts, mass production may not begin for several years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the U.S. decision and emphasized that Ukraine has officially received recognition of its ability to master the production of Patriot missiles.
According to him, the next step will be to agree on a timeline for launching production, and the sooner the parties reach the necessary agreements, the sooner Ukraine will be able to manufacture Patriot missiles on its own territory.
This was reported by The Washington Post.
Ukraine aims to launch production of missiles for the Patriot systems under a U.S. license as soon as possible. However, according to Reuters, this process may begin not in Ukraine, but in one of the European countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who arrived in Kyiv on a working visit. During the talks, the parties discussed increasing sanctions pressure on Russia, Ukraine’s need for air defense systems, and further military cooperation with the United States.
