Macron announces European anti‑ballistic missile coalition in Paris
On 13 July 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron convened a summit in Paris of the “Coalition of the Willing”, attended by about 25 European leaders. The participants announced the creation of an integrated anti‑ballistic‑missile (ABM) coalition involving ten European countries – Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ukraine – to develop a cheaper, European‑produced alternative to the U.S. Patriot system, dubbed the Freya (or Freyja) project.
Macron said the coalition would “demonstrate that we are ready, determined and credible on land, in the air and at sea”. He also pledged that France will licence Ukrainian production of French weapons, including Rafale fighter jets, precision‑guided AASM bombs, Aster air‑defence missiles, SCALP cruise missiles and SAMP‑T radar systems. Joint military exercises in Ukraine’s neighbouring states were announced to test the multinational force that could be deployed after a cease‑fire.
Zelensky stressed that “our main priority is anti‑ballistic defence” and welcomed the European industrial cooperation. The European Union announced a €90 billion loan package to support Ukraine’s defence needs. Russia’s Kremlin dismissed the initiative as a “war‑agitating” coalition. The agreement marks a major step in European defensive integration and Ukraine’s air‑defence capability.