Trump again dodges question on Patriot missile production pledge to Ukraine

US President Donald Trump again sidestepped a direct question about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's claim that Ukraine had secured American permission to produce Patriot missiles on its own soil.

Ukraine, which has been working to bolster its air defenses against Russian strikes, has insisted it received a US commitment to allow domestic Patriot missile production, CNN reported Saturday (local time). But Trump once again stopped short of confirming whether he had agreed to the arrangement.

Speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for Tennessee to attend a college football game, Trump was asked about Zelensky's statement on Saturday that there had been "a specific agreement" on a Patriot manufacturing license. Trump said the two leaders "talked about many subjects, and there was strong agreement on many of those subjects."

Trump then added: "But do you know what I want from him? I want him to make a deal — have him make a deal with Vladimir Putin, and Putin wants to make a deal with him."

On Saturday, Zelensky told reporters that during his meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week, Trump had said Ukraine would "get a license to produce Patriot missiles."

CNN characterized Trump's remarks as confirming that he and Zelensky had discussed Patriot missiles, while noting that Trump shifted the focus of his answer toward urging Ukraine and Russia to reach a deal to end the conflict.

It is not the first time Trump has given an ambiguous answer on the question of Patriot missile production in Ukraine.

When Trump met Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in July, he indicated he intended to allow Ukraine to produce the missiles locally, saying one topic they would discuss was "giving them the right to make Patriots and showing them how to make them."

However, in an interview with the Financial Times that same month, Trump appeared to walk back that position, saying he was "not sure" whether the US government would grant Ukraine a Patriot production license.