The vow, made during a bilateral meeting at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, was a rare feel-good moment between two world leaders who have frequently butted heads. However, turning that offer into a reality that can help Ukraine in the near-term isn’t realistic. It would take many months, at least, for the first missiles to roll off the production line for a whole host of reasons we will delve into later in this story.
“That’s pretty cool,” Trump told Zelensky after making his license offer. “This way, you can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough. I said, ‘Make them yourself.’”
Trump added a telling caveat.
“We haven’t informed the company of that yet, but that’ll work out all right,” he said. We’ve reached out to Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, which make variants of these weapons, for more details.
“We don’t have an immediate comment on the president’s announcement,” a spokesperson for RTX, Raytheon’s parent company told us. However, the spokesperson noted that RTX “has a long history of co-producing critical defense systems in Europe, with major suppliers in Poland, Germany, Switzerland and Greece to name a few.”
The American leader also suggested that Ukraine would not need much time before it is able to place domestically produced Patriot interceptors into launchers.
“I think they can produce them pretty quickly,” Trump posited. “They have a great ability to produce weapons.”
As we noted earlier in this piece, that’s unlikely at best, even though Ukraine has been at the forefront of weapons production dating back to when it was part of the Soviet Union.
First of all, such a deal could face bureaucratic and regulatory hurdles, like getting Congressional approval. That’s the least of the issues, however.
For instance, even Lockheed Martin, one of the world’s biggest arms makers, currently produces only about 650 PAC-3 MSE interceptors a year, or just shy of two per day. However, under a contract with the Pentagon inked in January, Lockheed is committed to boosting Patriot annual production to 2,000 in the years to come.
Lockheed Martin Receives Contract to Accelerate PAC-3® MSE Production
“Every PAC-3 MSE interceptor carries a production lead time of 24 months for the missile and 30 months for the solid rocket motor,” the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) explained in a recent analysis. “Such timelines are due to physical industrial constraints, such as the lengthy curing time required for solid rocket motors and the complex, multi-year process of qualifying any new component supplier.”
The primary bottleneck “sits one level below the prime contractor,” FPRI added. “Boeing produces the active radar seeker for every PAC-3 MSE from a single facility in Huntsville, Alabama, and in 2025 it delivered only around 650 to 700 seekers. Recognizing this choke point, the Pentagon signed a framework in April 2026 to triple seeker production, an admission that final assembly capacity is irrelevant if the sub-tier cannot keep up. The same logic applies to the missile’s solid rocket motor, manufactured by L3Harris’s Aerojet Rocketdyne.”
Leaders celebrate groundbreaking of Boeing’s PAC-3 Seeker Factory
Given those issues, whether Ukraine can obtain these components even if it does have a license to build the interceptors is a huge question. It is one that Kyiv is trying to answer for the line of interceptors it is trying to produce at home.
Fire Point, the Ukrainian company that makes several drones as well as the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile, is working on a domestically designed and produced “anti-ballistic shield.” The backbone of this system is the company’s FP-7.x interceptor missile. In February, the company demonstrated tests of the weapon, which is based on its FP-7 ballistic missile.
That shield “is aerodynamically ready, but still not combat-capable without full integration,” the Kyiv Post noted earlier this month. “Chief designer Denys Shtilerman said the system depends on radars, command centers, a secure data link, and a European-developed seeker head. The company is working with partners to combine these elements into a functioning missile defense network.”
You can see the FP-7 missile in the following video.
As we have previously noted, between U.S. usage in recent Middle East conflicts, sustained consumption by Ukraine and commitments to nearly 20 other nations that are facing increasing threats, the supply of Patriot interceptors is a major problem. Even before Ukraine gained the system and the multiple flare-ups in the Middle East, the depth of the global Patriot missile arsenal and the ability to build enough interceptors in a crisis was concerning. Now demand has exploded and rationing is occurring, with some customers being told their orders are going to be diverted to replenish U.S. stocks. This practice even predates the second Trump administration, with the Biden White House telling allies their orders will be diverted to Taiwan and Ukraine.
All of these interceptors for various buyers will need the same long-lead, highly specialized components that Ukraine would need for domestic production of these weapons.
Even if Ukraine can round up all the components, it still needs a place to put them all together into a workable weapon. Given that it faces constant missile and drone barrages from Russia, Ukraine disperses a lot of its weapons production to avoid having one point of failure in the event of a devastating attack. However, that might not be optimal for the production of enough Patriot interceptors to provide an adequate defense against these threats. Any large facility purpose-built or converted for this effort — which could take years — would be a prime target and likely attacked very quickly.
Should Ukraine find a suitable, secure location, perhaps underground, it still needs people to do the work. That raises another level of concern, according to David Shank, a retired Army colonel who served as Commandant of the Air Defense Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and as the 10th Army Air Missile Defense Commander in Europe.
“From my perspective, I am absolutely 100% concerned about the Ukrainians and anyone they let in those facilities,” Shank noted. “And of course that brings into play how much information and capability we are willing to share for the Ukrainians to build Patriot interceptors.”
Shank’s concerns are well-founded. Security around these weapons and their components is very high. The chances that data or hardware could find its way into enemy hands is a problem in a country at war with its neighbor, and those risks are greater with the more advanced variants of these weapons like the PAC-3 family.
Also unknown is how Ukraine will pay for all this, though it is likely European nations will help foot the bill.
All things considered, it will be a while before Ukraine can defend its skies with homegrown Patriot interceptors.
“I do think there will be bureaucratic hurdles to get over,” Shank surmised. “But ultimately I believe the tech transfer and supply chain will drive the pace. I am sure Ukraine has already identified the big ticket items needed to make this happen. I believe the supply chain of the intricate components, chips, and circuit cards could slow the process.”
In addition to promising he would give Ukraine a license to build Patriot, Trump also said he would provide an undisclosed number of additional ones from existing U.S. stocks.
There’s a long way to go before Ukraine can procure the Patriot interceptors it needs.
According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), “Russia’s military-industrial complex plans to deliver up to 700 9M723 ballistic missiles for the Iskander operational-tactical missile system in 2026, the same number as last year,” Ukrainska Pravda reported. “Monthly production rates remain at 55-60 missiles.”
Iskander. (Russian MoD) Russian MOD
In addition, “the Russians have more than doubled production of RM-48U missiles for S-300PM and S-400 air defense systems, which they use to strike ground targets,” the publication added. “Over 480 such missiles are planned to be delivered in 2026, compared with more than 200 in 2025. The current monthly production rate is up to 50 missiles.”
The number of ballistic missiles Russia builds per year exceeds the current pace of high-end Patriot interceptor production, which is telling when it comes to how many interceptors the U.S. can supply Ukraine on a sustained basis under the current production rates.
So, Trump’s offer, if it comes through, won’t solve Ukraine’s urgent need for interceptors. However, becoming a Patriot producer, even after the war, would be a huge win for Kyiv. Developing its own stockpile would give Ukraine a level of security it does not currently enjoy. Being able to potentially co-export some of the interceptors it assembles would also add a boost to its economy that Ukraine badly needs. In addition, it would cement Ukraine further as a high-end weapons manufacturer. Considering the voracious global appetite for these weapons, there would be no shortage of customers.
Wimbledon was rocked by a stunning upset on Saturday as defending champion Iga Świątek was knocked out in the third round
Alexandra Eala of Philippines reacts following victory over Iga Swiatek (Image: Clive Brunskill, Getty Images)
There were tears on Centre Court as one Champion was knocked out of the tennis competition.
Wimbledon entered its sixth day of intense action on Saturday (July 4) as competitors battled to secure their place in the fourth round. The compelling order of play featured Emma Navarro (USA) going up against Marta Kostyuk (UKR) on Court Two, while Arthur Fery flew the flag for Great Britain on Court 18 against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, amongst numerous other fixtures.
Yet it was Centre Court that left spectators utterly stunned as the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala squared off against Poland’s Iga Świątek. Presently sitting third in the global women’s singles rankings, Świątek, 25, is a six-time Grand Slam winner and was competing to retain her title.
Świątek secured her maiden Wimbledon crown last summer when she delivered a devastating 6-0, 6-0 final triumph over Amanda Anisimova. However, she has now been eliminated from this year’s tournament.
Throughout the gripping third-round encounter with 29th seed Eala,Świątek surrendered the opening set in an extraordinary tie-break, 21-19, before collapsing in the second set, going down 7-6 (11-9) 6-2.
While BBC One was broadcasting the Arthur Fery fixture, presenter Clare Balding broke in to confirm that Eala has created history as the first Filipino player to advance to the fourth round of a major championship, reports the Express.
Speaking live from the BBC studios at Wimbledon, in London, Clare announced: “Let us bring you up to date with a major shock. The defending champion, Iga Świątek, is out of Wimbledon, and Alex Eala is the first player from the Philippines ever to reach the fourth round here.
“A huge result, she is immensely popular all around the world, and gets really big crowds following her. Eala is only 21, and this is a massive moment for her, and indeed for the Philippines.”
Having clinched her winning point, Eala collapsed to the ground before swiftly rising to her feet to pay tribute to her opponent, Świątek.
Visibly overcome with emotion during her on-court interview, Eala reflected on her childhood, when such an achievement could only have been the stuff of dreams.
“I’m really emotional. For someone like Iga, who has won so many Grand Slams, or maybe like Serena or Venus, this achievement may seem small but for someone who grew up in the Philippines it is huge,” she said as the crowd cheered.
“I went to train with my brother and my grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks, light-up shoes, and chubby cheeks, so to younger me, this is everything. But, obviously, just because I’m emotional does not mean I’m satisfied, so next round let’s go!”
All the latest action from Wimbledon is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Defending champion Coco Gauff is the latest big name to exit the French Open after a third-round defeat by Anastasia Potapova.
In a match with multiple big swings of momentum, American fourth seed Gauff lost 4-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 to Austria’s Potapova.
The win over two-time Grand Slam champion Gauff means Potapova is into the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time.
Gauff follows men’s top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in being knocked out in the first week in Paris.
The 22-year-old beat Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s final but came into Roland Garros having not won a title in 2026.
Potapova’s magnificent defence caused problems for Gauff throughout and the 25-year-old was seen clutching her shoulder after the match, following a number of bruising rallies.
“I’m cramping a little bit but it’s OK, it’s all good. I don’t have any words now, I’m extremely happy,” said Potapova.
“The fight we could show, both of us – Coco is such a champion and I respect her so much.
“I’m unbelievably proud of myself that I stayed there, that I was fighting until the last point.”
Potapova will play Russian 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya in the last 16 after her 6-3 0-6 6-2 victory over Camila Osorio.
Earlier on Saturday, American sixth seed Amanda Anisimova exited the tournament – losing to France’s Diane Parry.
To be the best, you have to beat the best, and the Sparks aren’t quite there.
In their season opener, the Sparks couldn’t build momentum against defending champion Las Vegas and fell 105-78 behind a remarkably efficient shooting day from the Aces.
Las Vegas shot 63% from the floor and the Sparks had few answers. Nneka Ogwumike had 19 points and 10 rebounds in her return to the Sparks, and Kelsey Plum opened her campaign with 27 points. Reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 19 points and Jackie Young picked up 20 points and nine assists. Chennedy Carter had 22 points in her first WNBA game since 2024.
Plum scored 11 of her points in the fourth quarter, but by then the Aces had opened a 20-plus point lead.
The Aces were coming off a 33-point blowout opening day loss to Phoenix on Saturday but showed no sign of fatigue.
Las Vegas (1-1) pounded the paint early with 26 points in the first half and 14 free throws to seven from the Sparks (0-1). They also shot 68.8% in the opening quarter to lead 29-14.
But the Sparks’ offense also seemed a bit out of sorts, with nine turnovers in the opening half that the Aces turned into 10 points. Las Vegas opened the second quarter on an 18-5 run.
The Sparks narrowed the deficit to one by halftime following an Ogwumike three-pointer and backhand layup late in the second. But mostly, the Sparks’ defense activated, forcing 10 turnovers, led by two steals apiece from Ariel Atkins and Erica Wheeler to fuel the comeback.
The Aces expanded their lead back to nine following a pair of turnovers from Atkins and Plum.
Last season, the Sparks had the worst defense in the WNBA, giving up 88.2 points per game. Defensive woes haunted them once more with 33 points allowed on 73.7% shooting in the third quarter, allowing the Aces to pull away.
Even with 15 offensive rebounds to the Aces’ six, the Sparks’ offense wasn’t efficient enough to compete. The Sparks also only got seven from the bench, with Wheeler shooting one for 11 in 20 minutes.
Neil Robertson established a narrow 5-3 lead over John Higgins in a fiercely contested opening to their quarter-final.
Higgins compiled breaks of 61 and 56 to take the first frame and the fourth to draw level at 2-2.
However, the emotional and physical toll of defeating Ronnie O’Sullivan 13-12 in an all-time Crucible classic on Monday appeared to weigh on the 50-year-old Scot at times.
The four-time champion made six unforced errors before reaching the mid-session interval and was far from his best in a scrappy affair.
Australia’s Robertson, who won the world title in 2010, also failed to hit the heights despite enjoying runs of 77 and 70 and, at one point, he even had to have his chair repaired, adding to the protracted nature of their contest.
While he took the final two frames of the session, his pragmatic approach and an unfortunate run of the balls contributed to a drawn-out eighth frame that lasted almost 52 minutes and delayed the start of the evening session.
Robertson and Higgins get back under way on Wednesday at 10:00 BST.
In contrast, Hossein Vafaei and Wu Yize are level at 4-4 after an entertaining start to their best-of-25 encounter.
With both players seemingly focused on attacking snooker, Iran’s Vafaei knocked in a break of 66 to lead 2-1 before Wu underlined his status as one of the game’s burgeoning talents with runs of 90, 56 and 56 to pull 4-2 ahead.
Vafaei, who had to win two qualifiers before advancing past Si Jiahui and then world number one Judd Trump in a final-frame thriller, responded with a break of 71.
And he drew level when Wu failed to knock in a presentable long black to the top left corner, clearing the table up to, and including, the pink.
They return for the second session of their best-of-25 encounter on Wednesday at 14:30 BST.
Barcelona move 11 points clear of Real Madrid in the La Liga title race with five games to play.
Published On 25 Apr 202625 Apr 2026
Fermin Lopez and Marcus Rashford’s goals took Barcelona to the brink of the La Liga title with a 2-0 win at Getafe.
The defending champions moved 11 points clear of second-place Real Madrid, who drew at Real Betis on Friday to dent their hopes of finishing the season with a trophy.
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Hansi Flick’s side can win their second consecutive Spanish title if they overcome Osasuna next weekend and Real Madrid fail to beat Espanyol.
“It’s not done, we have five more games, and we’re only focused on the next one,” Flick told reporters.
“We will celebrate when it’s time, but not now.”
Barcelona were without vital injured wingers Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, but still did enough to see off Jose Bordalas’s tricky side, sixth, in the Madrid suburbs.
“We were aware of what was going to happen here, we were going to have few chances, and I think we played well, competing well defensively and putting away the chances we had,” Lopez told Movistar.
“We know we’ve got a big advantage [in the title race], but even so, we can’t relax, I know it’s a cliche, but it’s the truth.”
Getafe set out to disrupt Barcelona’s rhythm with small fouls, and Barca struggled to create many clear opportunities.
Flick opted for Swedish winger Roony Bardghji in place of Yamal and chose Lopez on the left over Rashford.
Dani Olmo made the first with a neat dribble, speeding into Getafe territory, but pulled his shot wide of the far post.
Eventually, the hosts made the breakthrough just before half-time when Pedri played in Lopez.
Wearing a protective mask after hurting his face in a collision with Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Juan Musso during Barcelona’s Champions League quarterfinal elimination last week, Lopez stayed calm to slot home.
The midfielder imitated Yamal’s usual “304” celebration in tribute to the injured teenage star.
“The truth is he’s really important for us, it’s a shame that he can’t play any more, but the important thing is that he recovers well and is ready for the World Cup,” added Lopez.
With Getafe needing to come out of their shell to find an equaliser, Barca had more opportunities after the break.
David Soria saved from Olmo after he met Jules Kounde’s cross, and then the French defender headed a Joao Cancelo ball narrowly off-target.
Martin Satriano threatened for the hosts before Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, secured Barcelona’s triumph.
Robert Lewandowski sent the England international charging through on goal, and he slipped a low effort past Soria to help Barca put one hand on the trophy.
“Marcus, in the second half, he came on and used the space they gave us,” said Flick.
“I’m happy that we scored this goal for the team and also for him.”
Getafe goalkeeper Soria acknowledged Barca were clinical enough to clinch victory.
“They were very efficient, you give away two chances, and they score them both,” he said.
“It’s a shame to have gone in behind at half-time because it puts you in a difficult spot.”
UCLA women’s basketball team has added some star power as its revamped roster begins to take shape.
Former Iowa State forward Addy Brown announced Thursday she is committing to UCLA, giving the Bruins one of the top players in the portal.
Brown averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the floor and 33.8% from three-point distance with the Cyclones last season. She played just 21 games due to injury, but she is one of the better two-way players in the nation on the transfer market.
The 6-foot-2 forward co-starred with Audi Crooks for Iowa State the past few seasons and was a part of the mass exodus from the Cyclones’ program.
UCLA also signed Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas earlier this month. She is likely to start at point guard for the Bruins and is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation.
Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form somewhat of a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but missed all of this past season with injury and has one season of eligibility left.
A lineup with Deas and Aarnisalo in the backcourt, Hunter at the three and Gardiner or Brown at the four and adding another big or Sienna Betts at the five would be a competitive lineup in the Big Ten.
Before going to TCU, Hunter played two seasons at Oregon State where she earned All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honorable mention and All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors. This past season with a Horned Frogs team that went to the Sweet 16, she was third in scoring with 10.2 points per game and averaged 3.2 rebounds per contest. She also shot 45.7% from the field and was 33.7% from beyond the arc.
Aarnisalo played her freshman year in Westwood after she originally committed to UCLA in 2025. Due to injuries from point guard Kiki Rice at the start of the 2024-25 season, she was forced into action early her freshman season and finished the year averaging 5.1 points per game.
The Helsinki, Finland, native averaged 10.2 points per game for the Tar Heels as a sophomore last season while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.3% from the arc. The Bruins will desperately need to replace the three-point production lost with the departure of Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker.
UCLA coach Cori Close said she wanted to sign five players from the portal. She probably needs one more guard and a little more forward depth coming off the bench following the departures of Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalic.
Lena Bilic and Amanda Muse are returners coming off the bench who got a little bit of playing time in the tournament and should have much larger roles, but they are still relatively unproven in late-game situations. They will get a chance to develop as backups with some more Power Four experienced starters now in the fold.
“I’m trying to be very patient. But we are good and just waiting a little bit.
“We have a few tests in the next few days and then we will see how the injury is and what the next steps will be.”
The 22-year-old, who won clay-court titles in Monte Carle, Rome and Roland Garros and reached the final in Barcelona last season, could lose significant ground to Sinner in the rankings because of the injury.
Italian Sinner reclaimed the number one ranking this month after beating Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final.
Alcaraz said: “I’d rather come back a little later but in great shape than come back early, rushing around, and unwell.
“God willing, I have a very long career ahead of me, many years, and pushing myself too hard at this Roland Garros could seriously harm me in future tournaments.
“Things happen in the professional world. You have to accept them. I need to recover really well if I don’t want it to affect me later on.”
