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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine will jointly produce interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system with U.S. defense company Raytheon, UATV English reports.
Following a meeting with Raytheon Vice President Joseph DeAntona, Zelenskyy said the partnership marks the next step in expanding Ukraine’s domestic defense industry.
“We have long used Raytheon’s equipment to protect our people from brutal Russian attacks. Now we will produce interceptor missiles for the Patriot system together,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president noted that the initiative follows agreements reached during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Ankara.
“This is what President Trump and I discussed in Ankara, and now it is time to move forward,” he said.
According to Zelenskyy, the two sides also discussed cooperation on other areas involving defensive military equipment. Ukrainian and U.S. government teams, together with representatives of the private sector, will continue working to finalize the necessary arrangements.
Raytheon is one of the world’s largest defense and aerospace companies, producing advanced missile systems, air defense technologies, radars and sensors, including the Patriot system, AMRAAM missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Earlier, Zelenskyy said he and Trump had reached a political agreement on licensing the production of Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine and urged technical teams to begin implementing the project without delay.
Trump has also confirmed that the United States intends to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot interceptors. According to Reuters, initial production is expected to take place in Germany or another European country before eventually being transferred to Ukraine after the war ends.
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