Ukraine and nine European allies launch anti-ballistic missile coalition in Paris on July 13, pledging a shared European missile shield

Summary

Ukraine and nine European allies, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK, announced the Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition on July 13 at a summit hosted by France's President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. The ten countries committed to building a shared anti-ballistic missile capacity for Europe under the Freya project, according to the French presidency. The summit gathered more than 25 heads of state from the Ukraine Coalition of Willing at the Hôtel des Invalides on the eve of Bastille Day, with Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte among those attending. The gathering also discussed a €70 billion support package for Ukraine.

The split

Ukrainian and Eastern European outlets, including the Kyiv Independent and Ukrinform, framed the anti-ballistic coalition as a concrete operational deliverable from the Paris summit, naming the Freya project explicitly. European outlets, particularly Euronews, emphasised the declaration's self-described "purely defensive" character and linked the initiative to the broader Russian ballistic missile threat. Pakistan's Express Tribune covered it as a technology and industry cooperation initiative, avoiding NATO or geopolitical framing.

By the numbers

• 10, countries in the new Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition (Ukraine plus nine European allies)
• 25+, heads of state gathered at the Hôtel des Invalides for the Coalition of the Willing summit
• 37, nations in the broader Coalition of the Willing as of July 13
• €70 billion, discussed as a support package for Ukraine at the Paris summit

Why it matters

The launch of a dedicated anti-ballistic missile coalition, rather than a reaffirmation of existing frameworks, marks a shift: European allies are now building new multilateral defence architecture outside NATO structures. The Freya project, if funded and operationalised, would give Ukraine and European partners a shared capability specifically designed to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.

What to watch

• Whether France and the UK secure the promised Freya project funding commitments at the next Coalition of the Willing meeting
• Russian response, including any acceleration of ballistic missile production or targeting
• Whether the US or non-NATO European states seek to join the anti-ballistic coalition