DOMINANT ANGLE
Brasília is primarily concerned with the instability of Trump's words: approved in July, then immediately put on hold, and later validated in September, the Patriot license depends on a reversible presidential decision more than a finalized agreement.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Zelensky stated on Friday, September 25, in a voice message to journalists: "Ukraine will receive licenses for the production of Patriot missiles."
- 02
In July, during the NATO summit, Trump initially mentioned this authorization before backtracking, citing caution regarding the sharing of sensitive military technology.
- 03
G1 reports that Zelensky mentioned a US proposal for a trilateral meeting with Russia, which would take place in the United Arab Emirates at a technical level.
ANALYSIS
Brasília, September 26, 2026. The Brazilian press reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Friday, September 25, in a voice message sent to journalists, that Donald Trump gave him his "final approval" for Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles under license. According to Zelensky, quoted by Veja and G1, the statement was made during their last meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York: "During our last meeting, President Trump emphasized that yes, he made a final decision. Ukraine will receive licenses for the production of Patriot missiles."
The two publications put the announcement into a series of reversals that began in July, during the NATO summit, when Trump first mentioned this authorization before backing down, citing the need to act with caution in sharing sensitive military technology. G1 recalls that Kiev has been pressuring Washington for months to obtain this authorization, in a context of shortage of air defense systems: Ukrainian stocks, replenished over the past four years of war by the United States and Europeans, have been depleted in the face of daily Russian strikes.
Veja emphasizes that the missiles of the Patriot system, one of the most advanced in the world, remain complex and expensive to produce, which explains their persistent rarity despite the demand. G1 adds that these technological negotiations are part of a crisis in Ukraine's air defense, which has been unable to reliably intercept Russian ballistic missiles for months.
On the same day, according to G1, Zelensky mentioned an American proposal for a trilateral meeting with Russia, which would take place in the United Arab Emirates, specifying that these discussions would remain at a technical level, without the leaders of the two countries. G1 also notes a reaction from the Kremlin on the same day, without detailing its content.
For the Brazilian press, the episode illustrates above all the instability of American presidential speech on this issue: approved in July, slowed down immediately, then validated again in September, the Patriot license remains conditioned to the changing will of Washington rather than a stabilized agreement.
