Republican congressman says negotiations over patriot production with Ukraine remain active
Negotiations between the United States and Ukraine over licensing Patriot system production are continuing, Republican Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio said in an interview with Margaret Brennan on CBS News’ Face the Nation that aired Sunday, Aug. 2.
Republican Representative Mike Turner of Ohio informed CBS News’ Face the Nation that discussions regarding licensing Patriot system production with Ukraine are still active, according to a report aired on August 2. Turner addressed the aftermath of Russia's ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, where Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted only one out of 27 missiles.
He was referring to President Donald Trump's plan to grant Ukraine a license for Patriot production, which he initially believed had been achieved but was later reported as a potential backtrack on Trump's part.
Trump's comments initially seemed to encompass both Patriot systems and Tomahawk missiles. However, Turner clarified that the focus was specifically on the defensive nature of Patriots, distinguishing them from the offensive Tomahawks. He further explained the complexity involved in granting access to such technology, particularly citing the defensive nature of Patriot systems.
When asked to confirm the ongoing nature of these negotiations, Turner emphatically stated that they are indeed taking place. He further urged both Trump and the Pentagon to expedite the process. Following a meeting with Trump on July 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned discussing licenses for the production of Patriot interceptor missiles.
However, Trump reportedly expressed uncertainty about granting such a license to Ukraine during an interview with the Financial Times on July 30. This uncertainty was further discussed during a White House news conference on July 31 when Trump suggested Washington should "be very careful" about transferring Patriot interceptor production technology to Ukraine.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
