Nine European states form missile defense coalition with Ukraine

The new alliance is intended to complement existing systems of the participating countries, Macron explained. The goal is to build a common defense capability against ballistic missiles for Europe by pooling the industrial defense base, research and operational experience. "By pooling our industrial defense base, our research and our operational experience, our goal is to build a common defense capability against ballistic missiles for Europe and to promote relevant supporting activities," the declaration states. The coalition emphasized at the same time that its defense is not directed against the population of another country. "This is not directed against the population of another country, but to defend our own population."

Goal and scope of the alliance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explicitly welcomed the step and thanked Macron for the initiative. "Strong and sufficient defense capabilities against ballistic missiles are crucial to ending Russia's war against Ukraine," Zelenskyy declared. He had previously campaigned in Paris as part of the so-called Coalition of the Willing for the establishment of a new European air defense system capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles within a year.

The backdrop to the initiative is the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been repelled with Western support since February 2022. Zelenskyy described Russia's use of ballistic missiles as "really the last resort to prolong this bloody war." He warned that the US would first replenish its own arsenals and allied Gulf states in the face of Iranian attacks in the Persian Gulf before additional supplies to Kyiv would be possible.

French weapons production for Ukraine

At the same time, Macron and Zelenskyy agreed that France would grant Ukraine licenses for arms production for the first time. "France is allowing Ukraine to produce French cruise missiles, precision bombs and air defense missiles," it was said. This makes France the first country to grant Ukraine licenses for arms production. In parallel, Donald Trump had most recently promised Ukraine a license for the production of Patriot ammunition at the NATO summit in Ankara; a corresponding license for Patriot defense systems was also announced.

In addition, the government in Kyiv is ordering 16 French Rafale fighter jets, which are to be operational by 2029 at the latest, as well as next-generation air defense systems. Ukraine's allies are also planning military exercises in neighboring countries, Macron further declared. Military support for Kyiv thus gains a broader dimension beyond missile defense.

The situation at the front remains tense, however. According to the assessment of military expert Colonel Reisner, Ukraine has been unable to repel numerous attacks in recent weeks due to a lack of Patriot missiles. Russia is exploiting the current bottleneck in a targeted manner. The PAC-3 guided missiles are considered scarce; their production in the US is proceeding slowly. Kyiv is lacking the other components for missile defense, however, such as mobile launchers and radars. Zelenskyy had therefore called on Europe to supply radars and other critically important components.

Patriot bottleneck and Freyja project

In the current winter, Ukraine needs 100 Patriot missiles per month according to government calculations in Kyiv – "300 missiles for the winter," as Zelenskyy explained. The US American Patriot systems are considered the most effective defensive weapon against Russian ballistic missiles, but are only available in limited numbers. Ukrainian air defense has been modernized in recent years with Western support, particularly from Germany.

In addition, Ukraine is working on its own missile defense system called Freyja, which is designed as a cost-effective and powerful alternative to the Patriot system. "Ukraine has developed a missile whose mass production will be inexpensive, according to Zelenskyy," his entourage said. "Mass production will be inexpensive." However, according to experts, the implementation of such a production project is likely to take years. Concrete timelines for the industrial implementation of the missile defense coalition were not initially presented in Paris.

The port city of Odessa was recently the target of Russian attacks again, as a ZDF report from July 13, 2026 documented. Against this backdrop, the signatory states emphasize that the protection of Europe requires a comprehensive missile defense architecture in order to deter and repel future attacks. The coalition intends to draw on Ukraine, that is, on Kyiv's experience in repelling Russian attacks, for this purpose.

With the founding of the missile defense coalition, we are strengthening the capabilities Europe needs, said Macron. According to information from Paris, the alliance is purely defensive in orientation. It is intended to complement the existing air defense systems of the participating states and, in the longer term, to create a common, coordinated protection architecture against ballistic missiles. The European security architecture thus takes a further step towards common defense in the fourth war season.