Zelenskyy says Ukraine awaits Trump's approval for Patriot missile production

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said Kyiv was awaiting a positive response from US President Donald Trump on granting Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot air defence systems, calling the move critical to protecting lives from Russian missile attacks.

Zelenskyy said Russia had "no arguments for victory other than ballistic missile strikes" and stressed that Ukraine and Europe needed sufficient missile defence systems to stop Moscow's aerial campaign.

"Europe must have enough capabilities to protect itself from every kind of threat, including Russian ballistic missiles," he said.

The President said air defence should be one of the key outcomes of upcoming international meetings, particularly the NATO summit, "if, of course, NATO still means something to its allies."

Zelenskyy added Ukraine has been holding lengthy talks with the US administration to secure licences for the production of Patriot surface-to-air missile systems.

While thanking partner countries financing missile purchases through the PURL programme, he said Europe and Ukraine also needed domestic production capabilities to ensure long-term security.

"We very much hope for a positive response from US President Donald Trump to protect lives," Zelenskyy said.

He added that joint production in Ukraine or together with European partners would also benefit the United States during future operations.

Earlier on Saturday, Ukraine's Defence Ministry said Kyiv had urgently requested Patriot missiles from 40 countries, seeking deliveries by July 2026.