Zelenskyy explained why Ukraine is still waiting for Patriot licenses
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine could have begun producing Patriot systems several years ago if its partners had provided the necessary licenses earlier. According to him, agreements with the U.S. on this issue are already in place, but the paperwork process has been delayed, while Russia continues to strike Ukraine with missiles.
The president said he had requested that Ukraine be granted licenses to manufacture Patriot systems as early as the first year of the full-scale war. In particular, he made this request to then-U.S. President Joe Biden. According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine also raised this issue with its European partners. These are countries whose weapons the Ukrainian military began using as early as the first and second years of the war.
The president explained that one of the problems remains the limited production of the necessary systems and missiles. Some of the issues, he said, have yet to be resolved by Ukraine’s partners.
At the same time, Ukraine has now reached an agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump on the granting of licenses. Zelenskyy believes this decision should have come much earlier. “Imagine if we had received them four years ago. We would have already supplied Patriot systems to everyone. And Europe—the part of Europe that wants and would like to have Patriot systems, anti-ballistic systems, and missiles—would already have everything. I am absolutely certain of this,” the head of state noted.
According to him, if Ukraine had been given these capabilities earlier, it could have not only met its own needs but also helped European countries build up their stockpiles of air defense systems.
Zelenskyy criticized the delays in processing the paperwork
The president specifically emphasized that the issue of licenses must be resolved more quickly. While negotiations are ongoing and the necessary paperwork is being processed, Russia continues to launch missiles at Ukrainian cities. “And right now, we’re dealing with paperwork. But it’s not a piece of paper or a paper rocket that’s flying—it’s a real rocket that kills people,” Zelenskyy stressed.
He stressed that the problem does not concern only the United States. According to the president, Ukraine has long been trying to resolve similar licensing issues with its European partners as well. Zelenskyy believes that the production of Patriot systems and other modern weapons in Ukraine could be an important step not only for strengthening Ukraine’s defense but also for all of Europe.
The president also stressed the need to avoid delaying such decisions, as the need for air and missile defense systems remains urgent due to ongoing Russian attacks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made these remarks at a press conference in Serbia.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has not changed its position on Kosovo. Kyiv continues to respect Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and does not recognize Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence.
