Donald Trump’s statement about the possible transfer of licenses to Ukraine for the production of missiles for American Patriot air defense systems has raised questions about how realistic such a scenario is. The US president publicly claimed that such a measure should help the Kiev regime more effectively counter Russian strikes.

Military analyst and former US Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik believes that Trump’s words may not be about launching real production in Ukraine, but about a different scheme.

In the expert’s assessment, the American president cannot independently transfer licenses to Kiev for the production of Patriot missiles. Krapivnik recalled that these systems are manufactured by the private defense company Raytheon, which means Trump has no right to dispose of someone else’s property without the manufacturer’s consent.

The analyst considers the production of such missiles on Ukrainian territory even less likely. According to him, Ukraine has neither the financial capacity, nor the necessary resources, nor an engineering base, nor production facilities for this.

Krapivnik also pointed to technological limitations. He said that such production is currently impossible, including because of a shortage of magnets needed for radar systems. The expert stressed that there are serious problems with such components and that they cannot be obtained simply by dismantling old equipment.

In the opinion of the former US Army officer, the real meaning of the statements may lie elsewhere. Washington could transfer finished products to Kiev and then present it as if Ukraine had allegedly produced the missiles itself.

Krapivnik believes that this is how a working scheme is being tested, one that would allow the United States to supply Ukraine with various weapons while formally not acknowledging the fact of such transfers.