Published On 7/8/2026
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that his country would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot missiles, while NATO pledged to provide 140 billion euros ($160 billion) in aid to Kiev, during a meeting of its leaders in Ankara.
During his meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Trump said that his country would grant Kiev a license to manufacture the Patriot, adding that “things will go well.”
In the context of his support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, Trump said: “We are prepared to close the airspace over Ukraine if necessary,” considering at the same time that Kiev’s launching of strikes deep into Russia is “an escalation, but it may contribute to ending the war.”
“Putin and Zelensky are difficult”
But the US President indicated that both sides of the ongoing war in Ukraine want to reach a settlement, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky were “difficult.”
For his part, Zelensky – who repeatedly requested to obtain American-made interceptor missiles – said that he wanted to discuss “some very important details” with Trump, addressing his American counterpart, “I am sure that you will do everything in your power to stop this war.”
Ukraine is facing difficulty in intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, with the dwindling stock of Patriot missiles, which are considered the only weapon in Kiev’s arsenal capable of shooting down ballistic projectiles that are difficult to stop due to their high speed and highly curved trajectory.
Ukraine’s priorities
In turn, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sepiga said, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, that strengthening air defense capabilities is a priority for his country, considering that the summit carries great importance for both Ukraine and the NATO countries.
Sipiga explained that strengthening Ukrainian air defense systems comes at the top of the issues that Kiev discussed with representatives of the countries participating in the summit, adding that his country is awaiting the issuance of clear decisions from the allies in this regard.
In a related context, NATO leaders meeting in Ankara pledged to provide 140 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine during the years 2026 and 2027.
They added, in a final statement, that they would provide 70 billion euros during the year 2026, in the form of military equipment, aid and training programs to Ukraine, and they also affirmed their sovereign commitments to maintain at least similar levels during the year 2027.
For his part, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed, on the sidelines of the summit, his country’s continued support for Ukraine, warning that “it is now up to Russia alone to end this war.”
‘No chance for Russia’
While Merz considered that “the faster we end this war, the better for Europe, for Russia, and for peace in the world,” he said, “We will do our best today once again to achieve this goal, and send a clear message to Moscow: Russia has no chance of winning this war.”
Moscow has escalated its air war against Ukraine over the past few months, as its ground advance has largely stopped, but Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s military logistical supplies and the oil sector have caused a widespread fuel shortage inside Russia.
It is noteworthy that Russia has been launching a military attack on Ukraine since February 24, 2022, demanding that Kiev abandon joining Western military entities, which the latter considers “unacceptable interference” in its internal affairs.
