Rubio Confirms US-Ukraine Talks on Patriot Missile Production License
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on September 2 that Washington and Kyiv are negotiating a license for Ukraine to produce Patriot air-defense missiles. He cautioned that even if a deal is reached, it would not address Ukraine's immediate shortage of interceptors. The talks come as Ukraine seeks more air-defense missiles ahead of another winter of Russian attacks.
Key Facts
- Rubio said the license talks are ongoing but that ramping up production and building factories would take multiple years.
- Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery estimated that licensing and establishing production could take at least 18 months and potentially two or three years.
- Montgomery said Ukrainian Patriot production would not produce missiles for Ukraine in 2026 or 2027, and maybe not even 2028.
- Rubio called demand for interceptors "the number-one defense need on the planet," with countries in the Middle East also seeking them.
License Negotiations
Rubio confirmed the negotiations on The Brian Kilmeade Show on September 2 when asked whether he opposed giving Ukraine licenses to make its own Patriot missiles. He said the US has its own defense requirements and must maintain adequate stockpiles before supplying other countries. The talks revive an idea that President Donald Trump appeared to downplay only weeks ago.
Production Timeline
Montgomery, a senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told RFE/RL that Ukrainian Patriot production would be worthwhile but would not materially affect the war in the near term. He said the US is not currently offering Ukraine sufficient numbers of Patriots, which could make the coming winter difficult. Montgomery suggested providing targeting data to help Ukrainian medium-range drones hit Russian Iskander ballistic-missile launchers, as well as software upgrades for Ukrainian F-16s to allow them to dynamically target those launchers.
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