The Pentagon blocked the issuance of the license to Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles, despite the agreement of Rubio and Gasth.
The US Department of Defense is delaying the issuance of the license to Ukraine to manufacture interceptor missiles for Patriot systems. The decision was agreed upon by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, back in October. The necessary documents have not yet been completed.
The licensing process was stopped at the level of the US Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Logistics, Michael Duffy. The decision agreed to by the management remains unrealized.
Back in September, Vladimir Zelensky said that US President Donald Trump had approved the granting of licenses to Ukraine for the production of Patriot missiles.
Ukraine is seeking permission to produce PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles, which are used to intercept air targets, including ballistic missiles. Production of individual components followed by assembly in Europe is also discussed.
On November 11, Zelensky announced a shortage of missiles for Patriot complexes. According to him, a significant part of the available interceptors is headed to the Middle East, while the Ukrainian air defense needs additional supplies to repel Russian missile attacks.