US Expresses Concern Over Patriot Missile Technology Theft Risk if Ukraine Production Licensed

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Telegraph reported that Washington fears the theft of Patriot missile technology if Ukraine is granted production licenses. The newspaper, citing sources, stated that assurances are needed to prevent the compromise of classified information, as the U.S. government is aware of instances where allied weapons sent to Ukraine have ended up on the European black market.

Earlier, The Atlantic magazine, referencing a source in the U.S. Congress, reported that American defense companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, the manufacturers of the Patriot air defense system and its interceptor missiles, are concerned that licensing the production of these missiles for Kyiv would create a competitor.

U.S. President Donald Trump had previously announced that Washington had not yet made a decision regarding the licensing of Patriot interceptor missile production for Ukraine. The Financial Times also reported, citing sources, that Trump rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request for additional interceptor missiles for Ukraine during a meeting in the Oval Office. According to the newspaper, Trump justified his decision by citing missile shortages within the United States and their extensive use in combat operations in the Middle East.

Moscow has repeatedly stated that supplying Western armaments to Ukraine cannot alter the course of the conflict but rather prolongs it and hinders the achievement of a political and diplomatic agreement.