President Trump said Wednesday the U.S. will license Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles for its defense, giving Kyiv a vital weapon against the Russian invasion.
Mr. Trump confirmed his intention for the Raytheon-developed technology on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey as he expressed hope for an end to the four-year-old conflict in Eastern Europe.
“This way, you can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough,” Mr. Trump said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Patriot missiles are vital to Ukraine’s ability to repel Russian airstrikes like the ones that recently struck Kyiv, the capital.
A Patriot missile mobile launcher is …
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“It’s a defensive situation, as opposed to an offensive,” Mr. Trump said. “Let’s say, ‘Make them yourself.’ We haven’t informed the company of that yet, but that’ll work out all right.”
Mr. Trump is hopeful that a Ukraine-Russia settlement can be reached, likening the conflict to playground rivals who need to fight a bit before it is more trouble than it is worth for either side.
Mr. Trump said both Mr. Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin want to find a way to end the conflict.
“Usually that means a settlement, but who knows, this is a tough one,” Mr. Trump said. “Putin’s a difficult character, and this guy’s a difficult character.”
“I think we’ve made a lot of progress in the last couple of weeks,” Mr. Trump said. “They want to get it done.”
Mr. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, thanked Mr. Trump and the U.S. for its support in its fight against Russia.
The sit-down was relatively cordial in front of the cameras, a stark turnaround from the scolding that Mr. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance delivered to Mr. Zelenskyy in the Oval Office last year.
“We’ve actually developed a very good relationship,” Mr. Trump said.
Russia unleashed a barrage of attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in recent days, killing at least 50 people.
Moscow said it was responding to recent attacks on Russian land, but Ukraine said it is trying to defend itself from Russia’s unprovoked invasion, which began in February 2022.
U.S. officials said Ukraine’s incursion into Russia signals that Moscow is having a harder time defending its airspace.
“It’s an escalation, but it’s also an escalation that can help lead to an end,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Zelenskyy said Mr. Putin is losing many soldiers on the battlefield, and it has been difficult to understand what Russia is demanding before it ends its invasion.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte delivered a stern message to Russia on Wednesday.
“This alliance will defend every inch of our territory,” he said at a press conference. “We are defensive, we will never attack anyone. We will only defend our way of life, our democracies, our territories. So don’t fool with us, don’t play with us.”
