Zelensky said teams are working on plans to begin co-producing Patriot interceptors 'as quickly as possible' as delays in US military aid persist.
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President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met at the White House on Tuesday to discuss licenses for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors under license and revive peace talks with Russia. The private Oval Office meeting came ahead of the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Ukraine ally who died July 11 at age 71.
Zelensky later described the talks as productive, saying the leaders focused on Trump's pledge at this month's NATO summit to allow Ukraine to build the interceptors domestically. “We talked with the president about licenses for producing interceptors for the Patriots and other ideas that could help,” he wrote on Telegram.
Separately, Zelensky met representatives of Lockheed Martin, one of the Patriot manufacturers. He said Ukrainian and U.S. teams were already working on plans to begin co-production “as quickly as possible.” The move is intended to strengthen Ukraine's ability to replenish critical air-defense supplies without relying solely on foreign shipments.
The two presidents also discussed restarting diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fifth year. Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit Ukraine soon as part of renewed mediation between Kyiv and Moscow.
Graham, who died July 11 at age 71, had visited Kyiv a day before his death–his tenth trip since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Zelensky is expected to meet senators at the Capitol after the funeral, where lawmakers will vote on a bipartisan sanctions package targeting Russia that Graham championed.
The meeting occurs against persistent delays in U.S. military assistance. A Pentagon letter to Congress indicated the Trump administration does not expect to spend the remaining $400 million in congressionally approved aid until fiscal year 2029. Democrats and several Republican lawmakers have criticized the delay, arguing the money should flow faster.
Relations between Trump and Zelensky have improved in recent months after a difficult start to Trump’s second term, as Kyiv has intensified strikes on Russian military and energy infrastructure and both sides explore a diplomatic resolution.
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