Ukraine and nine other countries become founding members of anti-ballistic coalition
Ukraine and nine other European countries have become founding members of an anti-ballistic coalition, whose inaugural meeting took place in Paris on 13 July with the participation of national leaders, representatives of the EU and NATO, and defence industry executives.
Source: European Pravda citing an informed Élysée Palace official speaking on condition of anonymity
Details: According to European Pravda, all 10 countries joined the anti-ballistic coalition as founding members.
One of the coalition's objectives will be to integrate the European defence industrial and technological base involved in the production of anti-ballistic systems and interceptor missiles with Ukraine's defence industry in order to develop a new joint European capability.
The inaugural meeting of the anti-ballistic coalition in Paris on 13 July was attended by the heads of state or government of seven of the 10 founding members: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
The meeting was also attended by three leaders of European institutions: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Representatives of the following defence companies also took part in the meeting: Fire Point – CEO and CTO Iryna Terekh; Destinus – President and Chairman Oleksandr Danyliuk; Diehl Defence – company representative Uwe Slansky; eurosam – Managing Director Anne Díaz de Tuesta; HENSOLDT – CEO Oliver Dörre; KONGSBERG – President Kjetil Reiten Myhra; Leonardo – company representative Corrado Falco; MBDA – CEO Éric Béranger; Safran – Vice President and Head of Defence Alexandre Ziegler; Saab – CEO Micael Johansson; SENER – CEO José Julián Echevarría; Thales – Vice President Hervé Dammann; and Weibel – Torben Dyhr, Vice President for Sales and Instrumentation.
Background:
- Participants in the Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris on 13 July are expected to discuss strengthening Ukraine's air defence and developing anti-ballistic systems.
- Previously, Zelenskyy announced a coalition meeting dedicated to the production of anti-ballistic systems in Europe.
- He also said that the first meeting focusing on Freya, Ukraine's own anti-ballistic system, will take place in France in the coming days.
- Zelenskyy has arrived in Paris.
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