Patriot licenses for Ukraine 'being negotiated as we speak,' Rubio says after week of Russian strikes on Kyiv
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Kyiv and Washington are currently in talks on granting Ukraine licenses to build its own Patriot air defense systems, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview on The Brian Kilmeade Show on Sept. 2.
"That's being negotiated as we speak," Rubio said when asked if the U.S. would hand over blueprints for the interceptor missile batteries. However, with Kyiv facing a critical shortfall in air defense systems, Rubio pointed out that a deal for Ukrainian-made Patriots would not instantly change the situation on the ground.
"Ramping up production, even if you have a license, is something that takes multiple years to build these factories," Rubio said. Ukrainian Patriot production "may come to fruition, but it really won't solve the short-term challenge."
U.S. President Donald Trump said in July that he had agreed to grant Ukraine Patriot production licenses, before walking the promise back weeks later.
Without robust air defense systems, Ukraine is currently seeing some of the worst months for civilian casualties in Ukraine since the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion. Kyiv has also faced a week-long Russian assault. Overnight on Sept. 2-3, jet-powered Russian drones attacked Kyiv for the 7th straight night.
Rubio did not have a ready answer as to how the U.S. can help Ukraine with the crisis in the short term.
Responding to President Volodymyr Zelensky's plea for the U.S. to sell Ukraine 5% of its Patriot missiles, Rubio demurred, citing a need to protect American interests first.
"We have our own defense needs; we have our own defense requirements," Rubio said. "Before we can help others, we have to make sure that our stockpiles are always sufficient."
Rubio went on to push back against narratives that U.S. missile stockpiles were running low due to the ongoing war with Iran.
"I think in some ways our adversaries read that stuff and think it’s true, and they try to test us, and it could lead to conflict," he said.
Rubio also refuted reports that CIA Director Jon Ratcliffe’s 72-hour trip to Moscow in late August was an attempt to warn Russia not to attack NATO countries in the near future. Rubio downplayed the visit and described it as "routine."
"This is not unusual; it’s occurred under other administrations as well," Rubio said of the trip. "It wasn’t part of any sort of broader initiative, other than continuing to establish those intel-to-intel channels that can prove useful in any particular contingency or crisis situation."
When asked if he would take a larger role in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the Secretary of State and acting National Security Advisor said he would leave that to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have yet to visit Kyiv.
