European Leaders Gather in Paris as Coalition Moves to Shield Ukraine from Russian Missiles

Leaders from nine European countries have agreed to build an integrated anti-ballistic missile coalition with Ukraine, as roughly 25 heads of state and government converged on Paris for a wider summit on the country's defences.

The French Presidency confirmed in a statement that Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom had joined Ukraine in the new pact, which is intended to strengthen protection against ballistic missile attacks across the continent.

A Shared Missile Shield

'We believe that the protection of Europe requires a global solution of integrated missile defence architecture to deter and defeat future missile threats, developed through collective effort, technological openness, and trusted industrial cooperation,' they said in their statement.

The statement added that the system 'will complement existing ballistic missile defence systems, including sovereign European solutions already acquired, or to be acquired by participating countries'.

The ten nations described their objective plainly. 'Our goal is to build a shared ballistic missile defence capability for Europe,' they said in a joint statement.

Ukraine's Freya Project at the Centre

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the coalition would help fund and accelerate Ukraine's own Freya air defence system, which Kyiv hopes can eventually match the American-made Patriot in intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.

Zelenskyy wrote on X that the talks in Paris could 'open up significantly greater opportunities for Ukraine to strengthen its defences,' adding that anti-ballistic defence remained his 'top priority' heading into the meetings.

He is also due to present Ukraine's proposed Anti-Ballistic Program directly to government leaders, national security advisers and defence companies who could take part in building it out.

Talks Held Amid Rising Threats

The summit follows US President Donald Trump's pledge last week to license Ukraine to produce Patriot air defence systems domestically, according to the White House, a move that could eventually ease Kyiv's reliance on imported interceptors, though officials caution it may take years to materialise.

Zelenskyy is separately taking part in the Coalition of the Willing meeting, a group of roughly 35 nations led by the UK and France that coordinates military support for Ukraine and discusses post-war security guarantees. The coalition, which first convened in March, has become the primary forum for Western military planning outside formal NATO structures. Tuesday's session is set to focus squarely on Ukraine's critical air defence shortages, weighing whether to secure additional US-designed Patriot interceptors or accelerate Europe-sourced alternatives instead, with several countries expected to announce new contributions.

The Paris gathering also carried a personal note. Zelensky said he awarded French President Emmanuel Macron the Order of Freedom, calling him 'a true friend of Ukraine' and thanking him for years of support.

The scale of Monday's turnout, with around 25 leaders present, underscored the sustained Western commitment to Kyiv as Russia continues to test Europe's resolve.

The formation of a dedicated missile defence coalition marks one of the more concrete military commitments to emerge from recent talks, moving beyond statements of support toward a joint industrial and technical programme. For Ukraine, it offers a route to strengthening air defences ahead of winter, when Russian strikes on energy infrastructure have historically intensified.