₦airaland Forum

Donald Trump is to allow Ukraine to make US Patriot air-defence missiles in a sign of closer ties between Washington and Kyiv.

The US president said he would extend the licence for Ukraine to make the weapons domestically, which Volodymyr Zelensky has long sought to bolster defences.

Sitting alongside the Ukrainian leader on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Ankara, Mr Trump said: “We’re going to give a licence to you to make Patriots, that’s pretty cool.”

During Wednesday’s meeting in the Turkish capital, Mr Trump also praised Ukraine’s deep strikes within Russia and hailed his relationship with Mr Zelensky.

He vowed to work on security guarantees with European allies for Ukraine that would ensure Vladimir Putin could not break a peace deal if one were signed in the future.

It marked a notable shift in tone from the ill-tempered Oval Office clash in February, which Mr Trump recalled at the start of the joint press conference.

“We’ve actually developed a good relationship. It’s hard to believe, right? From the Oval Office to that,” he said.

Earlier he told reporters that Mr Zelensky had “done an amazing job”, adding: “Look, he’s been very effective, and he’s had the best equipment because he’s had our equipment.”

Mr Trump said: “We’ll give them the right to make Patriots. We’ll show them how to do it. It’s very complex, actually, but you’ll figure out the complexity quickly.

“This way you can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough, I say ‘make them yourself’. We haven’t informed the company of that yet, but that’ll work out all right.”

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the interceptor missiles that fit the Patriot system.

The manufacturing licence fulfils a long-standing Ukrainian request for more air defence systems.

Russia has recently escalated its air campaign against Ukraine, exploiting their dwindling numbers of Patriots after shipments were hampered by delays.

Patriot missiles are effective against the ballistic missiles and drones Moscow has regularly used to target civilian targets.

‘Difficult characters’

On Monday, Mr Zelensky warned that as long as the weapons stayed out of Ukraine’s hands, Putin would keep “vanquishing” residential buildings.

Mr Trump maintained that both Russia and Ukraine wanted the war to end but said Mr Zelensky and Putin were “difficult characters”.

“I talked to president Putin a lot. He wants to end the war, people don’t believe that,” he said.

Mr Trump said Putin had asked to sign a peace deal with Mr Zelensky in Moscow. But the Ukrainian leader joked on Wednesday that it would be difficult to visit the Russian capital because of the number of Ukrainian drones targeting the city.

Russia fired ballistic missiles at Kyiv overnight, officials said on Wednesday, a third attack on the Ukrainian capital in less than ‌a ​week.

While Ukraine’s air defences intercepted 139 of the 169 drones during the overnight strikes, they were unable to down any of the five ballistic missiles used by Russia, air force data showed.

Mr Trump also said he thought the US would make a deal to buy Ukrainian drones.

Ukraine has developed a highly sophisticated drone industry after having only limited expertise when Russia invaded in February 2022.

WorkTheTalk:
Emperor Putin of Russia should watch his back. You can't coded supporting the terrorists regime of Iran who chants "death to Israel, death to America" day and night, and think you can escape the radar of the real world power.

ednut1:
This war is senseless. Zelensky just allowed himself to be used by the west

ReturnMan:
Parrot wey Iran turn to traitors?

Authoreety:
I like how Trump is just too unpredictable

ednut1:
This war is senseless. Zelensky just allowed himself to be used by the west

buJu234:
Easier said than done.

Politics

America gives out one of his best weapon secrets to who?? Not even to Israel & the UK, their closest allies you are talking about Ukraine...

OK oo.. let's watch and see

hotwax:
Yes that’s why Iran was able to decimate New York.

buJu234:
Easier said than done.

Politics

America gives out one of his best weapon secrets to who?? Not even to Israel & the UK, their closest allies you are talking about Ukraine...

OK oo.. let's watch and see

hotwax:
Yes that’s why Iran was able to decimate New York.

ReturnMan:
Iran knows who Is at war with them... "US government" main reason Trump, his kids and some various Americans lives are already at risk... Trump indirectly set the funeral date for a lot of Americans... You people should not cry 9/11 o the amount of people that died in Iran since 28 Feb is more than 9/11 so when something happens in the near future you people should swallow it as bold as you are now and trump may not be in office 😂😂

ReturnMan:
Iran knows who Is at war with them... "US government" main reason Trump, his kids and some various Americans lives are already at risk... Trump indirectly set the funeral date for a lot of Americans... You people should not cry 9/11 o the amount of people that died in Iran since 28 Feb is more than 9/11 so when something happens in the near future you people should swallow it as bold as you are now and trump may not be in office 😂😂

BlocksNG:
you gave him a blow, he's aláìnírònú.

ReturnMan:
Iran knows who Is at war with them... "US government" main reason Trump, his kids and some various Americans lives are already at risk... Trump indirectly set the funeral date for a lot of Americans... You people should not cry 9/11 o the amount of people that died in Iran since 28 Feb is more than 9/11 so when something happens in the near future you people should swallow it as bold as you are now and trump may not be in office 😂😂