Trump grants Ukraine license to build Patriot missiles

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that Donald Trump has made a "final decision" to grant Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot air defense missiles, which Kyiv seeks to counter Russian ballistic missiles. Zelensky said Trump confirmed the decision during their meeting in New York this week. Kyiv estimates production could begin within one to one and a half years, though U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted licenses would not provide an immediate solution. PAC-3 interceptors are the only missiles Kyiv says can destroy Russian ballistic missiles, which are increasingly used against major Ukrainian cities. Global shortages have worsened since the U.S.-Iran war this year, and Trump had previously urged caution on the matter.