Nine European countries and Ukraine form anti-ballistic missile coalition

Global Watch | 2026-07-15

Nine European countries and Ukraine announced Monday the formation of a coalition to develop purely defensive anti-ballistic capabilities in Europe. The move responds to the growing threat of ballistic missiles, building on wider allied efforts to strengthen integrated air and missile defenses across NATO's eastern flank.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Paris for the announcement. He joined a meeting of Kyiv's allies aimed at reaffirming support for Ukraine and increasing pressure on Russia to end the war, now well into its fifth year.

The declaration was signed by Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. At least 25 heads of state attended the Paris meeting, and some will remain for France's July 14 national holiday events, which this year will highlight support for Ukraine.

"We believe that the protection of Europe requires a global solution of integrated missile defence architecture to deter and defeat future missile threats," the declaration stated.

"By bringing together our defence industrial base, our research, and our operational experience, we aim to build a shared anti-ballistic missile capacity for Europe," it said.

The countries stressed the defensive intent of the effort.

"We do this not against any people, but in defence of our own," the declaration added, pointing to Ukraine's experience facing repeated Russian ballistic missile strikes in recent weeks.

Coalition launched in Paris

The formal launch took place during the Paris gathering of allies. It builds on talks that began in May, when national security advisers from a broader group of European countries and the NATO secretary general's office met in Kyiv to discuss coordinated production.

Those discussions shifted the focus from political support toward practical industrial cooperation.

Zelenskyy has pointed to the time savings the coalition could deliver for Ukraine's own programs. Ukrainian defence firms have already tested new interceptor components designed for ballistic threats.

European partners could now contribute components and manufacturing capacity, helping accelerate development while expanding production, an approach increasingly reflected in joint European efforts to strengthen defense manufacturing and technology cooperation.

The Paris meeting also served as a platform for broader commitments.

Alongside the coalition announcement, allies coordinated next steps on air defence and reaffirmed their support for Ukraine as the conflict enters another year.

Strengthening collective defenses

The coalition's emphasis on an integrated European architecture reflects a wider effort to close gaps in missile defence production.

Europe has long relied on limited external supplies for advanced interceptors while facing an increasingly complex ballistic missile threat.

By pooling industrial resources, research and Ukraine's operational experience, the group aims to build scalable production capacity.

That approach is intended to strengthen both Ukraine's air defenses and Europe's broader missile defence posture while reducing exposure to supply bottlenecks.

If successful, the initiative would give Ukraine more sustainable coverage from systems produced closer to the theatre.

It would also provide European partners with additional options to strengthen their own layered defenses, consistent with the coalition's emphasis on deterrence rather than offensive capability.

Even so, turning those ambitions into reality will take time.

Dr. Thomas Withington, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said Ukraine's defence industry could contribute valuable operational experience, but warned that building production facilities, training skilled workers and securing resilient supply chains would require sustained investment.

"This is not going to be a fix for the air-defense threats Ukraine is going to face tomorrow," he said.

For now, the Paris announcement represents the clearest step yet toward turning earlier discussions into a coordinated European missile defence effort.

How quickly participating countries move from political commitments to technology sharing, investment and production targets will determine whether the coalition can deliver meaningful new defensive capacity for both Ukraine and Europe.