Trump agrees to license Patriot missile production for Ukraine; Zelensky requests 300 interceptors before winter

Washington talks and a funeral

Volodymyr Zelensky flew to Washington on Tuesday for a meeting with Donald Trump and to attend the funeral of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Ukraine ally and Trump adviser who died suddenly after returning from Kyiv. The Oval Office meeting was closed to the press. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt described both the Zelensky and Netanyahu talks as "positive and productive." Trump himself posted on Truth Social that the meeting with the Ukrainian leader went "very well."

“To wielki zaszczyt spotkać się z prezydentem Ukrainy Wołodymyrem Zełenskim. Omówiono wiele kwestii. Spotkanie przebiegło bardzo dobrze!”

Later that evening the US Senate accelerated work on new sanctions against Russia, a move Graham had pushed for before his death.

Patriot licence greenlit

Speaking to Fox News after the talks, Zelensky declared that Trump had agreed to issue a licence allowing Ukraine to produce Patriot air-defence missiles. "He agreed to give us a licence, and I subsequently met with representatives of the manufacturing sector, very important American defence companies," Zelensky said. The White House has not yet commented on the declaration.

“Mam nadzieję, że uruchomimy wspólną produkcję.”

Patriot systems are the only fully effective tool the Ukrainian military possesses against Russian ballistic missiles. Zelensky had warned as early as spring about critical ammunition shortages, a problem compounded by depleted global stocks tied to the US war with Iran.

Urgent winter package

In an interview with Axios, Zelensky revealed he asked Trump for an emergency "winter package" of 300 Patriot interceptor rounds. Ukrainian stockpiles are nearly exhausted, and without resupply the country cannot defend its energy grid from Russian missile strikes. A failure to bridge the gap before winter could destroy power plants, cut off heating for millions, and trigger a humanitarian crisis.

“Potrzebujemy Patriotów na wczoraj.”

Axios notes that US inventories are also stretched by the Iran conflict, complicating transfers. During the NATO summit in Turkey in early July, the two leaders discussed the licensing option as a way to reduce Ukraine’s dependence on American stocks. Zelensky acknowledged that even with a licence, producing enough missiles would take one to five years and stressed that timeline is not workable. Talks are also underway with American arms manufacturers about modifying Ukraine’s own missiles to achieve Patriot-comparable capabilities, a route Zelensky called "quicker and cheaper."

The battlefield dynamic

Zelensky told Fox News that Russia has lost the initiative at the front. He said Moscow is losing 30,000 soldiers per month yet Vladimir Putin still refuses to end the war despite Kyiv’s repeated calls for a ceasefire to allow diplomats room to negotiate. Ukraine, he added, must maintain a firm posture and is counting on the effectiveness of international sanctions. US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may visit Kyiv within two weeks, Zelensky said in the Axios interview.

Stopover in Lublin

On his return journey, Zelensky landed in Lublin and briefed Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on the Washington talks. The two leaders discussed defence cooperation and the protection of cities and communities from Russian attacks. Zelensky described anti-ballistic defence as a priority and added that the two also addressed historical issues and the safety of Ukrainians who have found refuge in Poland.

“Ważne jest, aby Ukraińcy, którzy opuścili swoje domy z powodu wojny i znaleźli schronienie w Polsce, czuli się bezpiecznie.”

Tusk wrote on social media that the conversation covered the security of Poland, Ukraine and the whole of Europe.