President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that establishing domestic production of Patriot air defense systems will take anywhere from 12 months to several years due to lengthy bureaucratic procedures. Speaking during the “United News” national telethon, Zelensky clarified that Washington has already made the political decision to grant Ukraine the necessary manufacturing licenses, but the implementation is stalled by red tape. Ukraine must receive the appropriate licenses,” Zelensky stated. Earlier in August, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated that Washington would not allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot (PAC-3) interceptor missiles domestically, seemingly walking back earlier commitments made by the Trump administration. During a press conference in Belgrade on Saturday, Aug. 8, Zelensky confirmed that Kyiv had secured an agreement for monthly Patriot missile deliveries from the US.