According to Ukrainian officials, this proposal was passed on to then US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Read more Russia struck a children’s hospital in Zaporizhzhia
Officials told the publication that if the previous US administration had approved this proposal, Ukraine could already be producing interceptor missiles needed to protect its cities from Russian missile attacks.
“We tried to do this and offered various options, but we were simply told ‘no’ without any explanation,” said one Ukrainian official familiar with the negotiations.
At the same time, the Patriot air defense systems deployed in Ukraine are facing a missile shortage just as Russia intensifies ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv and other cities.
The article notes that long before Patriot missile stocks ran low, Kyiv was already looking for ways to reduce dependence on supplies from the United States.
The publication writes that as the Joe Biden administration’s term was coming to an end, Ukrainian negotiators feared that Donald Trump’s return to the White House could change the nature of Washington’s support for Kyiv.
Therefore, instead of waiting to see how things would unfold, they tried to create a long-term security system.
One of the proposals was to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles under license – both independently and in cooperation with European partners. It was emphasized that these are the only weapons capable of reliably shooting down Russian ballistic missiles.
The publication notes that nearly two years later, Ukraine submitted the same request again, but this time under much more difficult circumstances.
Read more Orai.lt: Lithuania will be between two systems – it will be very hot
The article explains that Russia has sharply intensified missile strikes on Kyiv and other cities, and Ukraine is facing a critical shortage of interceptor missiles.
As the publication points out, the seriousness of the situation was especially highlighted during the August 1 Russian attack. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Moscow launched 35 missiles, 27 of which were ballistic. Most of them were aimed at Kyiv. Ukraine managed to shoot down only two of them.
Patriot missiles for Ukraine: latest information
As previously reported by UNIAN, Austrian General Staff Colonel and war expert Markus Reisner said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked US President Donald Trump to deliver 300 Patriot missiles.
The expert explained that this amount would be enough for the coming months and winter – until Ukraine starts producing its own missiles for these systems.
According to M. Reisner, D. Trump is hesitating to make a decision, and the reason is not just the missile shortage. The expert believes that Washington keeps a large part of its arsenal in the so-called “blocking reserve.” This means that weapons are deliberately not provided to allies so that the United States can repel several attacks against its territory or partners if necessary.
It was also reported that US permanent representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker hinted that a US-Ukraine agreement on the production of interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems is unlikely to be concluded before this winter.
M. Whitaker believes it is unlikely that the United States will allow Ukraine to produce PAC-3 missiles, whose export is strictly controlled. However, he noted that there are possibilities to organize joint production, which the US could develop together with Ukraine. According to him, work on some such agreements is already underway.
Read more A convicted prisoner found dead in Marijampolė prison, a pre-trial investigation has been launched
