Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Paris today to ask leaders of around twenty European countries for help in developing a response to Russian ballistic missiles striking his country, four years after it was attacked by Russia.
Separate from the meeting in Paris, European Union foreign ministers are holding a meeting in Brussels, with the agenda focusing on Ukraine’s needs and the threat Russia poses to the continent.
„Our main priority is anti-ballistic defense,“ Zelensky told the media upon his arrival in Paris. He also announced that he would meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Zelensky wants to accelerate plans for European-Ukrainian development of anti-ballistic defense ahead of winter, when Russia typically intensifies attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, water supply, and heating systems. In all of this, Ukraine finds it more difficult to intercept ballistic missiles than cruise missiles and drones.
According to Zelensky, Ukrainian officials will present the proposed anti-ballistic program in Paris and meet with government leaders, national security advisors, and representatives of security companies.
A major step for Kyiv could be last week’s promise by U.S. President Donald Trump to grant Ukraine a license to produce the American-made Patriot anti-ballistic system.
However, experts and Ukrainian officials warn that it could take years to move from idea to realization, and it is not known how much time will be needed to create a new European system for protection against ballistic missiles.
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