Russia Ukraine War
FILE - Ukrainian Air Force's F-16 fighter jets fly over a Patriot Air and Missile Defense System in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on Aug. 4, 2024.
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Ukrainian drones hit more Russian oil facilities and set two oil tankers ablaze in the Sea of Azov, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture the Patriot air defense systems. Ukraine’s strikes on oil refineries and other infrastructure across Russia have triggered a fuel crisis with gasoline shortages and fuel rationing in multiple regions. A top Ukrainian official, meanwhile, cautioned that it could take a year or more for the country to produce Patriot interceptor missiles. The Kremlin played down the license deal and noted its appreciation of Trump’s efforts to help broker a peace deal to end the war, which Russia launched over four years ago.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to give Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air-defense systems could mark a major breakthrough for Kyiv. But experts and Ukrainian officials warn that turning the idea into real weapons would likely take years. Speaking Wednesday alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump said the United States would allow Ukraine to make the U.S.-designed systems that Kyiv has long sought to shield its cities from Russian missiles and drones. A production license would not automatically allow Ukraine to manufacture complete Patriot batteries. It could instead cover a narrower part of the system, such as interceptor missiles or selected components.
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