President Volodymyr Zelensky and at least 25 other heads of state met in Paris on Monday for a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing. The summit was aimed at reaffirming support for Kyiv, stepping up pressure on Russia, and pushing for a ceasefire while countering signs of allied fatigue. The meeting occurs one day before Zelensky joins France's Bastille Day military parade.
Ukraine and nine European countries, including Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, announced the establishment of an integrated anti-ballistic missile coalition. Drawing on Kyiv's wartime experience, the coalition aims to protect Europe from ballistic missiles.
The partners intend to jointly develop a new anti-ballistic missile system as a cheaper alternative to the U.S. Patriot system. A joint declaration stated that the coalition serves in a purely defensive manner, asserting that the protection of Europe requires a global solution of integrated missile defence architecture to deter and defeat future missile threats.
This initiative comes as Russia has escalated attacks in recent weeks, taking advantage of Ukraine's critical shortage of air defences. Despite recent shifts in momentum on the battlefield, these shortages have left Ukraine increasingly exposed to Russian ballistic missiles, prompting Western allies to secure more air-defence commitments.