Ukraine, nine nations launch coalition to counter ballistic missiles

Ukraine and nine European countries launched a new coalition in Paris on Monday to build a shared defense against ballistic missiles, putting Kyiv’s wartime air-defense experience at the center of a broader European security plan. The founding members, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, said they were creating a purely defensive Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition and backing a flagship project to develop a shared anti-ballistic capacity for Europe. The declaration said the effort would complement existing systems and remain open to other countries.

NBC News said the coalition would include joint work on a new anti-ballistic missile system, described as a cheaper alternative to the U.S. Patriot system. About a dozen defense firms also took part in the Paris meeting, underscoring that the project was meant to move beyond wartime emergency aid and into industrial planning, procurement and development. The declaration called for common operational requirements, joint technical groups, clear governance and a roadmap toward first operational capabilities.

The coalition came after more than four years of war that began with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Associated Press coverage has documented that Russia’s war has killed thousands, forced millions from their homes and damaged infrastructure across Ukraine, while AP’s separate database had tracked 145 incidents of sabotage and disruption blamed by Western officials on Russia as of December 2025. The new coalition fits that wider pattern of Europe hardening itself against not only battlefield strikes, but also the pressure campaign spreading beyond Ukraine’s borders.

France’s role ran alongside the coalition announcement. Reuters reported that Emmanuel Macron said France would allow Ukraine to produce French-made cruise missiles, precision guided bombs and air-defense interceptor missiles after Kyiv ordered next-generation Franco-Italian air-defense systems and Rafale fighter jets. That industrial linkage, paired with the missile-defense coalition, showed Ukraine being folded more deeply into Europe’s long-term security planning at the same time that allies were trying to reduce their dependence on U.S.-made air-defense systems.