Trump Hesitates on Patriot Licensing as Russia Strikes US Factory

Donald Trump expressed uncertainty regarding a plan to allow Ukraine to manufacture its own Patriot missile interceptors following a White House meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump stated that the United States must be cautious about whom it licenses the extraordinary weapon to, casting doubt on a proposal that already involved visits from Raytheon Co and preparations by Lockheed Martin Corp to send experts.

Simultaneously, Russia launched a ballistic missile strike on a drone factory in Kyiv owned by the U.S. corporation Terminal Autonomy. This event marks the first time Russia has targeted a U.S. company during the conflict.

In a separate escalation, a Russian missile exploded 50 miles from the Polish border, triggering Nato air defenses. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk identified the recovered fragments as belonging to a Russian KH-101 missile. These incidents occurred during a wider air raid that resulted in 13 deaths in Ukraine. Nato’s supreme allied commander for Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, responded by committing the alliance to taking all necessary measures to defend Nato territory.