Officials with knowledge of the matter have disclosed that US President Trump is planning to request American defense companies to license the production of weapons in Europe and Ukraine.
During the G7 summit in France on Wednesday, when questioned about these plans, Trump told reporters, "They want to do it, and we'll look at it."
Ukraine requires air defense capabilities, particularly interceptor missiles, which are currently only manufactured by the United States. However, according to anonymous officials, due to depleted US stockpiles from addressing the Iran situation and the time required to ramp up production, Trump has indicated to allies that he will explore the possibility of licensing production.
"The specific licenses involved will be discussed in detail by the participating countries," German Chancellor Mertzs told reporters on Wednesday. "This indeed concerns the issue of US companies granting comprehensive licenses to European manufacturers."
French President Macron confirmed that Trump "insists on mobilizing the US defense industry and its capacity to supply such equipment."
The US does authorize the production of certain weapons overseas, such as Patriot missiles in Germany, but typically maintains extremely strict controls over such licensing agreements due to concerns over intellectual property and supply chains.
Despite concerns about dwindling stockpiles, the US continues to deliver air defense equipment, funded by Europe and Canada, through NATO coordination mechanisms.
This week's G7 summit is seen as an unexpected success for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy met with Trump, and all allied nations, including the US, signed a positive joint statement. Trump even expressed a willingness to increase sanctions pressure on Moscow.
"We all face the current problem of insufficient production capacity, which can be solved by issuing licenses to enterprises that have the necessary production capabilities," Mertzs said. "These enterprises include both European and Ukrainian ones."
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