Trump expresses uncertainty about licensing Patriot missiles to Ukraine
Donald Trump has cast doubt on allowing Ukraine to build Patriot missiles, while Polish Prime Minister Tusk visited the site of a Russian missile explosion near the border and a US-owned drone factory was destroyed in Kyiv. France defended the expulsion of a pro-Kremlin commentator.
US President Donald Trump has expressed hesitation about permitting Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles, stating in an interview with the Financial Times that the weapon system is "very extraordinary" and that the US must be "a little bit careful" about licensing. Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Trump at the White House, where they discussed licensing arrangements for Ukraine to produce its own Patriot interceptors. Ukraine's envoy to Washington, Olha Stefanishyna, confirmed Thursday that officials from Raytheon, the Patriot manufacturer, have already visited Ukraine, and Lockheed Martin, which builds the PAC-3 interceptors, is also preparing to send a team of experts.
Additionally, the Financial Times reported that Trump envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will visit Ukraine for the first time in the coming days.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited the site of an explosion caused by a Russian missile about 50 miles from Poland's border with Ukraine. Tusk said fragments point to a Russian KH-101 missile but there is no indication Poland was the target. He added that Polish forces were prepared to shoot it down if it threatened a populated area. The explosion triggered NATO air defenses during a massive Russian air raid that killed 13 people in Ukraine. NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, stated that NATO will take all necessary measures to defend its territory.
A drone factory in Kyiv destroyed by a Russian ballistic missile was owned by a US corporation, Terminal Autonomy, registered in Delaware. The company manufactures precision deep-strike drones with guidance systems resistant to jamming. This appears to be the first instance where Moscow has targeted a US company in the conflict.
France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez defended the expulsion order against pro-Kremlin commentator Xenia Fedorova, a former head of the Kremlin-funded RT network, saying it is not a violation of free speech but a response to her relaying Russian propaganda. Fedorova's lawyer announced she will appeal.
