Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Ukraine Patriot licences: Trump 'not sure', FT says
US President Donald Trump told the Financial Times he was “not sure” whether Washington would allow Ukraine to build Patriot surface-to-air interceptor missiles, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Trump had agreed to the licences.
The issue was discussed when Trump met Zelensky at the White House this week. Trump told the Financial Times in a phone interview that “we're looking into it”.
“It’s a very extraordinary weapon, and . . . we have to be a little bit careful of who we licence to. We don’t really licence equipment,” Trump was quoted as saying.
Zelensky had earlier said after the White House talks that Trump had accepted giving Ukraine licences to produce Patriot interceptors. He said he had also met representatives of US military companies and hoped Ukraine and the United States would work on co-production.
Trump had expressed his intention earlier in the month to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptors. Kyiv has treated the issue as a top priority as Russia has increased ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine. The American Patriot systems are the only systems described in the supplied material as capable of shooting them down.
Update
Donald Trump told the Financial Times he was not sure whether Washington would allow Ukraine to build Patriot interceptor missiles.
Trump told the Financial Times that the United States was looking into the issue.
Trump was quoted as saying the Patriot is an extraordinary weapon and that Washington had to be careful about who it licences to.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 July 2026 at 06:10:51 UTC.
Update
Officials in Kherson said a man was killed and at least two others were wounded in Russian drone attacks on Wednesday.
Russia said a strike on Taganrog killed a woman and injured a man.
The source adds more detail on Zelensky's attendance at a memorial for Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and the sanctions bill Graham had championed.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 July 2026 at 04:45:19 UTC.
Update
Zelensky said Trump accepted giving Ukraine licences to produce Patriot interceptors.
Zelensky said he met US defence industry representatives and hoped for co-production.
Trump posted after the meeting that many things were discussed and that it went very well.
Zelensky claimed Putin was losing the initiative and said Russia was losing 30,000 soldiers a month.
Zelensky addressed senators before a procedural vote that advanced a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 July 2026 at 02:51:21 UTC.
Update
After the White House meeting and a memorial for Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, Zelensky addressed senators before an initial procedural vote on a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill.
A bipartisan vote advanced the Russia sanctions bill toward final passage, while the House of Representatives still faces deeper divisions over it.
Ukraine launched hundreds of drones at Russia hours before the meeting, while Moscow fired more than 100 drones at Ukraine overnight and continued attacks on Odesa and ships carrying Ukrainian agricultural exports.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 July 2026 at 00:45:41 UTC.
Update
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the meeting as positive and productive.
Zelensky said the talks covered licences for Patriot interceptor production and ways to reinvigorate diplomacy.
Zelensky was expected to address senators before a procedural vote on a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill.
The source adds further context on recent contacts with Trump envoys and the sanctions bill supported by Lindsey Graham.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 17:18:27 UTC.
Update
Zelensky described the White House meeting with Trump as a "good meeting".
Zelensky said they discussed licences to produce Patriot air-defence interceptors.
Zelensky said they discussed ways to revive diplomacy with Russia.
Zelensky said officials from the United States and Ukraine would arrange further discussions.
Zelensky said he offered Trump condolences over Senator Lindsey Graham's death.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 16:22:24 UTC.
Update
Volodymyr Zelensky held closed-door talks with Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
Zelensky spent just over an hour with Trump.
No details from the talks were immediately released.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 15:21:21 UTC.
Update
Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Tuesday for talks with Donald Trump.
Zelensky was expected to address senators at 6:00 pm, shortly before an initial procedural vote on a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill.
Supporters of the sanctions bill hope a strong bipartisan Senate vote will speed final passage and pressure the House of Representatives.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 14:21:55 UTC.
Update
Zelensky said after arriving in the United States that anti-ballistic defence and strategic cooperation with America were Ukraine's top priorities.
A senior Ukrainian official said Zelensky would push for fresh supplies of anti-ballistic missiles and discuss restarting frozen peace talks.
The same official said Washington's approval of a Patriot missile purchase package was crucial.
Zelensky also planned to attend a memorial ceremony for Senator Lindsey Graham, according to the Ukrainian official.
The United Nations said last month was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022.
The Ukrainian air force said Russia fired more than 100 drones at Ukraine between late Monday and early Tuesday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 09:08:42 UTC.
Update
The White House visit was scheduled for 9:30 am, or 1330 GMT, on Tuesday.
Moscow's mayor said more than 390 Ukrainian drones targeted the Moscow region overnight.
Local authorities reported some damage to residential buildings in the Moscow region.
Zelensky met last week with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about efforts to reinvigorate stalled diplomacy.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 05:08:16 UTC.
Update
Zelensky said Ukraine was preparing for a meeting with Trump and his team and hoped Washington would continue supporting Ukraine toward what he called a dignified peace.
The visit comes as Kyiv and Moscow have increased long-range strikes and US-led diplomatic efforts remain stalled.
The source adds context on strained but recently warmer relations between Trump and Zelensky, including earlier disagreements over Tomahawk missiles and Trump’s recent comments on Patriot missile production.
The source says Trump has largely ended direct US arms deliveries to Kyiv in favor of the PURL programme, while Washington continues to provide intelligence and Starlink access.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 01:21:13 UTC.
Update
A White House official said on Friday, on condition of anonymity, that Zelensky is slated to meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
The source describes the planned meeting as coming amid a new push to end the war with Russia.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 15:13:01 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
It remains unclear whether Washington will ultimately allow Ukraine to build Patriot interceptor missiles.
Source
AFP news report published on .