US Weighs Weapons Licensing for Europe and Ukraine to Boost Ukrainian Air Defenses

US President Donald Trump plans to ask American defense companies to produce weapons under license in Europe and Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on June 17, citing officials familiar with the discussions.

When asked about the proposal at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Évian, France, Trump told reporters, “They would like to be able to do it, we’ll take a look at it.”

Ukraine requires enhanced air defense capabilities, specifically interceptor missiles capable of stopping Russian ballistic strikes. These systems are primarily manufactured by the United States. Due to the depletion of US stockpiles during the war in Iran and the time required to scale up domestic manufacturing, anonymous officials told Bloomberg that Trump informed allies he would explore licensing arrangements.

“The specific licenses in question will be discussed in detail among the participating countries,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters on Wednesday. “This does indeed involve the granting of comprehensive licenses by American companies to European manufacturers.”

During his closing news conference as G7 host, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that Trump “insisted on the mobilization of the American defense industry and the capacity to supply such equipment,” according to Bloomberg’s coverage of the summit.

While the United States produces certain weapons under license abroad, such as Patriot missiles in Germany, the government typically restricts these agreements due to intellectual property and supply chain considerations. Despite concerns over diminishing stockpiles.

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Bloomberg noted that the US has maintained deliveries of air defense capabilities funded by Europe and Canada through a NATO-coordinated mechanism called PURL.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with Trump, resulting in a joint statement signed by all participating allies, including the United States. Additionally, Bloomberg reported that Trump indicated a readiness to expand economic sanctions against Moscow.

“We all face the problem that we are currently producing too little — and this can be offset by granting licenses to companies that have the necessary production capacity,” Merz said. “These include both European and Ukrainian companies.”

This proposal for defense manufacturing cooperation builds on the transactional framework established earlier at the summit. The White House had expressed a willingness to support European allies on Ukraine in exchange for European maritime assistance in clearing naval mines and securing the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which was mined during the Iran war.

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