Trump says U.S. will grant Ukraine's request for license to build Patriot interceptors
"A little birdie told me this, about the fact that we'll give them the right to make Patriots," President Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Updated on: July 8, 2026 / 10:48 AM EDT / CBS News
President Trump said Wednesday the U.S. will give Ukraine a production license to build its own Patriot missile interceptors for defense, granting a major request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid the ongoing war with Russia.
Speaking alongside Zelenskyy during NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, the U.S. president said his administration will grant the license to Ukraine, although he said the companies behind the Patriot defense system — Lockheed Martin and RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon) — haven't been informed yet. CBS News has reached out Lockheed Martin for comment.
The Patriot system, some of the most advanced defense technology, has been key in thwarting Russia's attacks.
"We're going to give a license to you to make Patriots," he clarified.