Ambassador to US Markarova: Ukraine negotiating local Patriot system production

Ambassador of Ukraine to the USA, Oksana Markarova, said in an interview with European Pravda that Ukraine can produce Patriot air defense missile systems. According to Oksana Markarova, Kyiv is negotiating with Washington regarding this. During the visits of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the USA in September and December 2023, the issue of joint production of Patriots was discussed "quite substantively,” Makarova said. "We need to start producing a lot ourselves, at least components, and at most some finished products," she said. Makarova added that Ukraine is requesting the transfer of ready-made Patriots, as the production of one system takes about 24 months. WP reported, citing Kuleba, that Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry found over 100 available Patriots that its allies have. However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine needs at least seven Patriot air defense systems. Russia has recently increased its attacks on energy and electricity infrastructure, and Ukraine’s current capabilities of downing Russian hypersonic ballistic missiles, such as the Kinzhal, are low. The European Parliament refused to approve funding for the EU Council until EU countries provided Ukraine with additional Patriot air defense systems. Germany announced that it would immediately transfer another such anti-aircraft missile system and missiles to Ukraine. Germany announced an initiative to provide Ukraine with additional air defense assets and called on partners and third countries to join. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO countries have committed to providing Ukraine with more air defense systems. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine will construct numerous defense manufacturing plants to bolster Ukraine’s defense industry. In a recent announcement, Shmyhal emphasized that 50% of the budget for arms procurement will be allocated to support domestic producers. Shmyhal said at a press conference on 4 March that Ukraine will build dozens of defense plants in the future. Read also:

• Stoltenberg: NATO to step up air defense aid to Ukraine
• PM Shmyhal: Ukraine to boost defense manufacturing, allocate 50% of arms budget to local producers