Trump to ask American companies to produce missiles in Europe - Bloomberg
Kyiv • UNN
Trump will propose that US companies produce weapons under license in Ukraine and Europe.
U.S. President Donald Trump plans to ask American defense companies to "produce weapons under license in Europe and Ukraine," Bloomberg reports, citing officials familiar with the negotiations, according to UNN.
Details
"They would like to be able to do that, we'll look into it," Trump told reporters Wednesday when asked about the plans at the Group of Seven summit in Evian, France.
As the publication notes, Ukraine needs air defense systems, specifically "interceptor missiles to stop Russian ballistic missiles, which only the U.S. can produce." But as the U.S. has depleted stocks with Iran and given the time required to ramp up production, "Trump told allies he would consider licensing opportunities," according to officials speaking on condition of anonymity.
"The specific licenses in question will be discussed in detail between the participating countries," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters on Wednesday. "This indeed involves American companies granting comprehensive licenses to European manufacturers."
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that Trump "insisted on mobilizing the American defense industry and the capabilities to supply such equipment." He spoke at his final press conference as the G7 chair.
The U.S. produces certain weapons under license abroad, such as Patriot missiles in Germany, but generally guards its licensing agreements closely due to intellectual property and supply chain concerns, the publication points out.
The U.S. continues to supply air defense systems paid for by Europe and Canada through a coordinated NATO mechanism called PURL, "despite fears that stockpiles could run dry," the publication notes.
"The G7 this week was seen as a surprise success for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Trump, and all allies, including the U.S., signed a positive joint statement. Trump even expressed readiness to tighten sanctions against Moscow," the publication observes.
"We all face the problem that we are currently producing too little — and this can be compensated for by issuing licenses to companies that have the necessary production capacities," Merz said. "This includes both European and Ukrainian companies."