President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Thursday that Ukraine and the United States have established a political agreement to facilitate licences for production of PAC-3 Patriot interceptors. He said the move was coupled with imminent deliveries, with key supplies of the missiles expected to arrive in the next few days.
The Patriot is a U.S.-manufactured air-defence system. Its PAC-3 interceptor - short for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 - is highlighted by Zelenskiy as one of the limited number of Western munitions capable of intercepting the ballistic missiles that Russia has increasingly used against Ukrainian cities.
Zelenskiy delivered the update to reporters after returning from a NATO summit and bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Turkey. He said discussions were also underway with Washington on a potential "drone deal" or joint drone production, although he clarified that no final drone agreement had yet been signed.
"I believe this was a productive summit for Ukraine. In the coming days, we’ll receive a package from the United States, and there were also some separate agreements," Zelenskiy said, referring to securing the PAC-3 interceptors.
On the matter of production licences, Zelenskiy said the issue had been resolved at the political level. He stressed the immediate need for technical teams and representatives from various ministries and the executive branch to begin their work without delay, so licences can be obtained quickly and production of the interceptors in Ukraine can commence as soon as possible.
The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly urged faster provision of interceptors capable of neutralising Russian ballistic strikes - a demand he said has been underscored by recent assaults on Kyiv and other cities.
Regarding the prospective drone cooperation with the United States, Zelenskiy said: "We definitely discussed a great many different things, we need to follow up, prepare for diplomacy, and there are a few other things, but all of this is the right direction." He added that while no drone deal has been finalised, "there are some documents that have already been signed so that the American side can get from Ukraine various types, different, different kinds that the United States is interested in for testing. And they’re getting them from us."
He specified that the items American partners would receive for testing include "both aerial drones and marine drones, as well as other technological things." Zelenskiy said separate discussions are planned with European allies to develop a distinct anti-missile system, and that a meeting on that project is scheduled to take place in France in the near future.
Zelenskiy also described an improvement in relations with President Trump, following a period of strained encounters. He told reporters that Trump was now "positive about Ukraine" and characterised their meeting as constructive.
"During the meeting he was very constructive," Zelenskiy said.
The president indicated further diplomatic follow-up will be needed on multiple fronts, including formalising technical arrangements for licences and continuing talks on drone cooperation and allied anti-missile planning.
Reporting note: The statements above reflect comments made by President Zelenskiy after his return from international meetings and bilateral talks, describing political-level agreement on licences for PAC-3 production, imminent deliveries of interceptors, ongoing but unsigned drone-related arrangements, and planned European consultations on a separate anti-missile system.