Trump Says US Hasn't Approved Ukraine's Patriot Missile Production Request Despite Zelenskyy Promise: 'They Can Someday Turn on You'

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On Friday, President Donald Trump said the U.S. has not yet approved Ukraine’s request to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors, signaling caution after previously indicating that Kyiv could receive a production license.

Trump Says Patriot Production Talks Are Ongoing

Trump addressed the issue during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, saying that discussions with Ukraine were continuing but highlighting the risks of sharing advanced U.S. missile technology, Reuters reported.

"It’s a big step," Trump said.

He noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought additional Patriot systems as well as Tomahawk missiles, describing the two weapons as serving different purposes.

"In the case of President Zelenskyy, he’d like to have some Patriots, he’d like to have some Tomahawks, which are, you know, lethal — one offensive, one defensive," Trump said.

Trump added that the U.S. must exercise caution when transferring sensitive military technology.

"We have not agreed to that. We’re talking about it, but it’s a hard thing to give away that kind of technology," Trump said. "There’s people that you give that technology, they can someday turn on you."

Why Ukraine Wants to Manufacture Patriot Missiles

Trump’s comments appear to soften an earlier indication that the U.S. would allow Ukraine to produce Patriot PAC-3 missile interceptors domestically.

Ukraine has faced persistent shortages of Patriot interceptors as Russia intensifies its aerial attacks.

The Patriot system remains one of Ukraine’s key defenses against ballistic missiles and Kyiv has long sought a co-production agreement that could provide a more reliable domestic supply.

Ukrainian officials have continued meeting with Pentagon representatives and defense industry executives to discuss the potential arrangement.

Ukraine’s ambassador, Olha Stefanishyna, said Thursday that Lockheed Martin (LMT), which manufactures the PAC-3 interceptor, was committed to expanding cooperation with Ukraine.

Lockheed executives met with Zelenskiy earlier this week and are expected to send representatives to Ukraine, she said.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon committed more than $135 billion on Wednesday to boost Patriot interceptor and nuclear submarine production as Trump pushes defense contractors to prioritize production over shareholder payouts.