Ukraine, European allies agree to build joint missile defence system
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets European leaders in Paris to launch a coalition aimed at strengthening Europe's ballistic missile defence. Image Credit: X/@ZelenskyyU
New Delhi: Ukraine and nine European countries met in Paris and agreed to build a joint ballistic missile defence system for Europe. The plan draws on Kyiv’s experience defending against Russian attacks since 2022. The countries involved are Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK and Ukraine. The announcement was made in a statement issued jointly by the 10 nations following talks with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The statement said the coalition’s goal was “a shared ballistic missile defence capability for Europe,” citing the growing threat from ballistic missiles, which are harder to intercept than cruise missiles or drones. It called for an integrated missile-defence architecture and said no timeframe had been set. The plan remains open to other countries.
The initiative is separate from Nato, though nearly all the participating countries are Nato members. Ukrainian officials also presented a proposed anti-ballistic programme to government leaders, security advisers and defence companies at the Paris meeting.
The 10-nation coalition met on the side-lines of a larger gathering, the “coalition of the willing”, which brings together more than 30 countries supporting Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the broader coalition, calling it driven by a false belief that Russia could be strategically defeated.
Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, separately warned that Russia would respond to any future Ukrainian strikes on its territory with much greater force. He was speaking at a meeting with pro-Kremlin activists about Ukraine’s recent strikes on Russian refineries, tankers and fuel terminals.
The announcement came as Russia’s missile and drone campaign against Ukraine continued. Russia said it downed 350 Ukrainian drones headed toward Moscow since Sunday, while Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 134 long-range drones and three guided missiles at Ukrainian targets.
The Paris meeting followed the death of the US senator Lindsey Graham, one of Ukraine’s most prominent backers in Washington, who died on July 11, after returning from a trip to Ukraine. It also came amid a reshuffle in Kyiv, after Ukraine’s prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, stepped down on Sunday. France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, separately said he would summon Russia’s ambassador and impose sanctions over an alleged Russian cyber campaign targeting about 10 European countries.
The US president, Donald Trump, has pledged to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot air defence systems under licence, a move officials say could take years to implement fully.
