{"id":1087672,"date":"2026-07-14T01:16:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T01:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1087672\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T01:16:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T01:16:49","slug":"ukraine-joins-9-european-countries-in-a-coalition-to-protect-against-ballistic-missiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1087672\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine joins 9 European countries in a coalition to protect against ballistic missiles"},"content":{"rendered":"

PARIS (AP) \u2014 Ukraine and nine other countries announced Monday they were forming a coalition to protect Europe from ballistic missiles, utilizing Kyiv\u2019s experience in fighting Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion<\/a> for over four years.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to build a shared ballistic missile defense capability for Europe,\u201d the 10 nations said in a statement in Paris at talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.<\/p>\n

He was asking two dozen leaders for help in developing measures against Russia\u2019s missile attacks that have pummeled his country<\/a> and made the rest of Europe wary of Moscow\u2019s wider ambitions<\/a> on the continent.<\/p>\n

Zelenskyy and the leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom said they recognized \u201cthe growing threat posed by ballistic missiles,\u201d which are harder to stop than cruise missiles or drones.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n AP AUDIO: Ukraine and 9 other countries announce a coalition to protect Europe from ballistic missiles\n <\/p>\n

AP\u2019s Lisa Dwyer reports on a new coalition to combat the threat from Russia.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that protecting Europe requires a comprehensive solution, in the form of an integrated missile defense architecture, to deter and neutralize future missile threats,\u201d the statement said. \u201cWe recognize Ukraine\u2019s unique experience, gained through its defense against the war of aggression waged by Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement gave no time frame for setting up the defense system and said the plan remained open to other countries.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"French<\/p>\n

French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pose for a group photo with heads of states and governments ahead of the Coalition of the Willing summit on security guarantees for Ukraine at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France, Monday, July 13, 2026. (Teresa Suarez\/POOL photo via AP)<\/p>\n

French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pose for a group photo with heads of states and governments ahead of the Coalition of the Willing summit on security guarantees for Ukraine at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France, Monday, July 13, 2026. (Teresa Suarez\/POOL photo via AP)<\/p>\n

Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n

Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n

Share<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Zelenskyy said Ukraine and its partners could, within the next 12 months, jointly develop a mass-produced, low-cost system with missiles that would let Europe supply itself with new antiballistic capability and provide it to others around the world who need protection.<\/p>\n

Putin shows no sign Russia is backing down<\/p>\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin was unyielding, vowing Monday emphatic retaliation to Kyiv\u2019s recent long-range attacks on refineries, tankers and terminals that have caused widespread fuel shortages<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWherever they attempt to strike Russian territory, we will respond in kind, but our strikes will be several times more powerful,\u201d Putin told a meeting with pro-Kremlin activists.<\/p>\n

European foreign ministers were meeting separately in Brussels where they discussed Ukraine\u2019s needs<\/a> and Russia\u2019s threats<\/a> to the continent.<\/p>\n

Zelenskyy is keen to accelerate efforts with European countries to develop its air defenses ahead of winter, when Russia usually intensifies its attacks to deny Ukrainians electricity, heat and water.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Sign up for Morning Wire:<\/strong>
\n Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.\n <\/p>\n

Ukrainian officials were in Paris to present a proposed Anti-Ballistic Program and meet with government leaders, national security advisers and defense companies who might take part, Zelenskyy said.<\/p>\n

U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s pledge last week<\/a> to give Ukraine a license to produce Patriot air defense systems to counter the ballistic missiles could mark a major breakthrough for Kyiv. However, experts and Ukrainian officials warn that turning the idea into reality would probably take years. It was unclear how quickly a European system could be built.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Rescue<\/p>\n

Rescue workers try to put out a fire of a residential building burning after a Russian drone attack on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, late Sunday, July 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Kateryna Klochko)<\/p>\n

Rescue workers try to put out a fire of a residential building burning after a Russian drone attack on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, late Sunday, July 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Kateryna Klochko)<\/p>\n

Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n

Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n

Share<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Ukraine wants to push Putin into negotiations<\/p>\n

Kyiv and its European backers want to press home Ukraine\u2019s recent successes<\/a> and compel Putin to negotiate an end to the fighting, although Moscow has shown no willingness<\/a> to compromise despite peace efforts<\/a> by the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow will closely follow the Paris meeting but dismissed its aspirations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a coalition of warmongers,\u201d Peskov said. \u201cThey are driven by the profound delusion that it\u2019s possible to inflict a strategic defeat on our country, so this is a coalition of the deluded, a coalition of those who incite the war.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ukraine\u2019s advances in drone technology<\/a> have given it an edge recently, analysts and Western officials say. Its strikes on supply routes behind the front have robbed the Russian army of momentum and made its progress slow and costly, they say.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Rescue<\/p>\n

Rescue workers try to put out a fire of a residential building burning after a Russian drone attack on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, late Sunday, July 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Kateryna Klochko)<\/p>\n

Rescue workers try to put out a fire of a residential building burning after a Russian drone attack on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, late Sunday, July 12, 2026. (AP Photo\/Kateryna Klochko)<\/p>\n

Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n

Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n

Share<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Ukraine says it hit 105 Russian vessels in 8 days<\/p>\n

Ukrainian forces struck 105 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov next to the Crimean Peninsula between July 6-13, said Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine\u2019s Unmanned Systems Forces.<\/p>\n

The vessels included tankers, dry cargo ships, a ferry and tugboats, Brovdi said on the Telegram messaging app.<\/p>\n

The campaign is part of a broader Ukrainian effort to isolate the Crimean Peninsula, which is enduring its worst fuel crisis since it was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014, and disrupt Russian logistics. Crimea is a key rear base for Russian forces occupying parts of southern Ukraine.<\/p>\n

It was not possible to independently verify the claims, and Russian officials made no immediate comment.<\/p>\n

European leaders demonstrate their commitment to Kyiv<\/p>\n

The Paris meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing<\/a>, which brings together more than 30 countries and about 25 heads of state and government, appeared to be a demonstration of a long-term commitment to Ukraine and a warning to Russia, as Moscow tests Europe\u2019s resilience<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Zelenskyy\u2019s trip to the French capital followed the death of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Kyiv\u2019s staunchest supporters<\/a> in Washington. Lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko called Graham \u201cthe closest link between Ukraine, our president and Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n

The trip also comes amid a major reshuffle<\/a> of Zelenskyy\u2019s government that saw Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko step down Sunday.<\/p>\n

French Foreign Minister Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot said he would summon the Russian ambassador to France and impose sanctions against Russian hackers. He told BFMTV-RMC that the issue is about \u201ca vast cyber campaign aimed at sabotage and espionage, carried out by Russia in about 10 European countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ukraine\u2019s neighbors have also felt the war\u2019s impact.<\/p>\n

In the latest incident, a drone launched during Russian overnight attacks on Ukraine\u2019s Odesa region crashed and exploded on Moldova\u2019s territory, Moldova\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday. It said the incident was \u201cserious and unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"French<\/p>\n

French President Emmanuel Macron greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of the Coalition of the Willing summit on security guarantees for Ukraine at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France, Monday, July 13, 2026. (Teresa Suarez\/POOL photo via AP)<\/p>\n

French President Emmanuel Macron greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of the Coalition of the Willing summit on security guarantees for Ukraine at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France, Monday, July 13, 2026. (Teresa Suarez\/POOL photo via AP)<\/p>\n

Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n

Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n

Share<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Ukraine fires over 300 drones toward Moscow<\/p>\n

Ukraine has aimed at targets deep inside Russia with its domestically developed long-range drones and missiles.<\/p>\n

Russian air defenses downed 350 Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow since late Sunday, including 50 near the capital, the capital\u2019s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.<\/p>\n

Moscow regional Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said 81 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight, adding that three people were killed and three were injured by the attack in the Pionersky settlement in the western part of the Moscow region.<\/p>\n

The Ukrainian air force, meanwhile, said Russia launched 134 long-range strike drones and three guided aviation missiles at Ukraine.<\/p>\n

A strike on port infrastructure in Ukraine\u2019s Odesa region set fire to a docked merchant vessel carrying fertilizer under the flag of Togo, killing five crew members and wounding 10, said regional military administration head Oleh Kiper.<\/p>\n

Russia says it thwarted a major Ukraine drone operation<\/p>\n

Russia\u2019s Federal Security Service said it had thwarted a Ukrainian plan for a drone attack on the Ukrainka air base in the far eastern Amur region and the Shagol air base in the Chelyabinsk region in the southern Urals.<\/p>\n

Small drones were smuggled into Russia\u2019s Bryansk region using air balloons and bigger transport drones, then taken by car near the air bases by Ukrainian agents, who were arrested, the security service said.<\/p>\n

A covert Ukrainian operation a year ago, dubbed Operation Spiderweb<\/a>, destroyed or damaged nearly a third of Moscow\u2019s strategic bomber fleet with drones carried secretly into Russia, according to Ukrainian officials.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Lorne Cook in Brussels and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Follow the AP\u2019s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/russia-ukraine<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PARIS (AP) \u2014 Ukraine and nine other countries announced Monday they were forming a coalition to protect Europe…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1087673,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5174],"tags":[60740,7667,32,105966,2000,299,5187,4179,8614,47778,51824,8617,82846,78067,1411,285,278274,7659,7661,38553,297320,657,7662,333,2601,7660,263,32941],"class_list":["post-1087672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-eu","tag-andrei-vorobyov","tag-dmitry-peskov","tag-donald-trump","tag-drone-surveillance-and-warfare","tag-eu","tag-europe","tag-european","tag-general-news","tag-international-agreements","tag-lindsey-graham","tag-lorne-cook","tag-military-and-defense","tag-military-occupations","tag-military-technology","tag-paris","tag-politics","tag-robert-brovdi","tag-russia-government","tag-russia-ukraine-war","tag-sergei-sobyanin","tag-sylvie-corbet","tag-ukraine","tag-ukraine-government","tag-vladimir-putin","tag-volodymyr-zelenskyy","tag-war-and-unrest","tag-world-news","tag-yulia-svyrydenko"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1087672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1087672"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1087672\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1087673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1087672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1087672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1087672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}