Western Allies Push for More Air Defenses for Ukraine at Paris Summit

Western leaders are set to seek additional air defense commitments for Ukraine during a high-level meeting in Paris on Monday, as Kyiv faces growing challenges intercepting Russian ballistic missile attacks despite recent...

Western leaders are set to seek additional air defense commitments for Ukraine during a high-level meeting in Paris on Monday, as Kyiv faces growing challenges intercepting Russian ballistic missile attacks despite recent improvements on the battlefield. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will join at least 25 leaders at the Coalition of the Willing summit, where participants are expected to discuss strengthening Ukraine’s military capabilities, coordinating a unified position toward Russia, and outlining security guarantees that could support any future peace agreement. The meeting follows last week’s NATO summit, which emphasized long-term military support for Ukraine and reinforced transatlantic unity.

It also comes after Russia launched fresh missile and drone strikes on Saturday that killed eight people and injured dozens, prompting Zelenskiy to urge allies to accelerate weapons deliveries. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Russia’s ballistic missile attacks continue to target civilian areas, describing June as one of the deadliest months since the war began. Moscow has repeatedly denied intentionally targeting civilians, insisting its strikes focus on military objectives.

French officials said discussions will center on expanding anti-ballistic missile defenses by securing more U.S.-made Patriot interceptors, speeding up deployment of the Franco-Italian SAMP-T air defense system, and exploring long-term alternatives developed jointly by European and Ukrainian defense industries. One proposal under review would allow several European countries to cooperate on a new missile defense system while giving Ukraine a significant manufacturing role. Ukraine has warned that it is running critically low on interceptor missiles, limiting its ability to counter high-speed ballistic threats.

Kyiv has also urged European partners to help develop its own advanced air defense capabilities. Leaders are also expected to discuss tighter measures against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which transports Russian oil through vessels with opaque ownership structures to bypass sanctions. The European Union is preparing to adopt its 21st package of sanctions against Moscow next week.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce new bilateral defense initiatives, including potential joint arms production agreements and multinational military exercises outside Ukraine designed to strengthen the credibility of a future multinational support force.