Overview
- President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that a recent political decision by the US president has created a pathway for Ukraine to participate in licensed production of Patriot interceptor missiles.
- Kyiv said it has launched Project Freya to link European anti‑ballistic capabilities and to build a shared shield led by Ukraine and major defence firms.
- Zelensky publicly thanked President Donald Trump and said the move could save thousands of lives, while officials stress that formal licences and technical transfers are still required.
- Ukraine hopes to secure the necessary licences and begin technical production work by the end of 2026 and has reported parallel agreements with France and Italy on SAMP/T permissions.
- Any domestic Patriot production would require negotiated US authorizations because the systems and interceptors are subject to US control, so legal, industrial and technology steps remain to be completed before 'Made in Ukraine' markings appear.