ANKARA, Turkey (Diya TV) — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air defense systems under a U.S. license. The move marks a major boost for Kyiv as it faces continued Russian missile attacks in the fifth year of the war.
Trump announced the move during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara. He praised Zelenskyy for his leadership and said Ukraine had shown remarkable strength throughout the conflict. The decision could help Ukraine expand its air defense capabilities and reduce delays in receiving critical military equipment.
“We’ll give them the right to make Patriots,” Trump said. “We’ll show them how to do it.”
Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged Western allies to provide more Patriot systems and allow Ukraine to build the technology locally. The systems remain in high demand because they help defend cities and infrastructure from missile attacks.
Trump also suggested the United States could purchase Ukrainian drone technology. He praised Ukraine’s ability to produce large numbers of low-cost drones and called the technology impressive. The comments reflected a shift from his earlier skepticism about Ukraine’s drone program.
At the same time, Trump addressed growing tensions with Iran. He said the United States was preparing for another round of military strikes after Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. According to a U.S. official, American fighter jets carried out retaliatory strikes Tuesday night and targeted significantly more locations than during earlier operations in June.
The official said the attacks focused on military targets and lasted about four hours. However, the large U.S. Navy fleet stationed near Iran did not take part in the mission. The naval force includes two aircraft carriers, destroyers, a cruiser, and an amphibious assault ship with more than 1,000 Marines.
Trump said the United States would respond quickly if Iran continued its actions. He also claimed Iran’s air defense network had suffered heavy damage. Still, he acknowledged that security threats remained and repeated that Iranian officials had targeted him in the past.
In addition, Trump warned that Washington could launch more strikes if necessary. He even suggested the United States might target Iran’s civilian infrastructure or seize Kharg Island, which plays a key role in the country’s oil exports. Those remarks came only hours after he indicated that hopes for a ceasefire had faded.
Meanwhile, Trump dismissed concerns that the conflict would cause lasting increases in oil prices. He argued that global oil supplies remained strong despite recent market volatility. However, U.S. oil futures climbed above $75 per barrel during Wednesday trading as investors watched developments in the Middle East.
The NATO summit also featured discussions about European security and alliance unity. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised Trump’s leadership and said member nations welcomed his efforts to strengthen the alliance. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also described the summit as successful and said European countries had shown greater responsibility for regional defense.
However, Trump’s renewed comments about Greenland drew a quick response from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. She rejected any suggestion that Greenland could be sold and said the territory was not for sale.
During the summit, Trump also met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. The two leaders discussed improving relations after Washington eased sanctions on Syria. Trump said he was open to removing Syria from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, while al-Sharaa thanked him for lifting sanctions earlier this year.
Elsewhere, Trump said he wanted Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy to hold direct talks to end the war in Ukraine. He revealed that Putin had proposed Moscow as a meeting location. However, Trump said he rejected the idea after discussing it with Zelenskyy, who joked that Moscow was too dangerous because of Ukrainian drone attacks.
Back in the United States, a federal judge ordered the release of nearly $5 million awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll after a jury found that Trump sexually abused and later defamed her. The ruling came after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s appeal of the 2023 civil verdict.
