Production of Patriots in Ukraine Not Realistic

US President Donald Trump's announcement at the NATO summit that Kiev could be granted a license to produce Patriot air defense systems has been evaluated by former US Defense Department analyst Karen Kwiatkowski.Kwiatkowski noted that the production of Patriots in Ukraine is not a realistic plan. She stated that Ukraine lacks a reliable workforce, infrastructure away from war threats, and access to critical raw materials, and that such a facility would become a target for attack even during its construction phase. Kwiatkowski also pointed out that one of the biggest challenges in producing Patriot missiles is access to rare earth elements, with the global supply of components like samarium-cobalt and neodymium being largely controlled by China.The military expert also drew attention to the difficulties the US has faced in developing its 1970s-era defense systems, and expressed suspicion that an attempt to produce Patriots in Ukraine could be 'another US-Ukraine money laundering proposal' or a diplomatic stalling tactic.