Ukraine's Dream of Producing Patriot Missiles

Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson stated that it is impossible for Ukraine to start producing missiles for the Patriot air defense system. Johnson noted that the Kiev administration cannot meet the complex supply chain and raw material needs required for missile production.After the US President's announcement that Washington might transfer the production license of Patriot interceptors to Ukraine, Johnson highlighted the technical difficulties of the production process.

It's just not possible. In the US, about 40 different suppliers produce the components of these missiles. Are they going to produce all these parts and send them to Ukraine? Moreover, the process requires rare earth elements, which China does not sell to either the US or Ukraine.

Johnson emphasized that the license transfer would not have a practical counterpart in the face of existing supply and raw material constraints. The Russian administration argues that the supply of weapons by Western countries to Ukraine complicates the resolution of the conflict and makes NATO countries direct participants in the crisis.Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that any cargo carrying weapons to Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia, while the Kremlin noted that Western military aid does not contribute to the negotiation process.