Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Europe to urgently develop a sovereign defence system capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.
The call for a continental anti-ballistic shield underscores a key vulnerability in Ukraine’s war with Russia and highlights wider weaknesses in European air defence. Ballistic missiles, which descend at supersonic speeds from high altitude, remain one of the most difficult threats for Ukraine to counter.
Currently, only advanced interceptor missiles used by the U.S.-made Patriot system have consistently succeeded in destroying Russian ballistic weapons.
Reliance on American systems, however, is increasingly seen as a strategic risk. Russia has used ballistic missiles extensively to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with repeated strikes overwhelming older Soviet-era defences. These attacks have damaged power stations and disrupted electricity transmission networks across the country.
Speaking to national broadcaster Marathon on Sunday, Zelenskyy outlined plans for a European-led system.
"I believe, and my idea is that we should have a European anti-ballistic missile defence system. We are in talks with several countries and are working in this direction," he said.
He suggested an ambitious timeline: "We need to build our own anti-ballistic missile defence system within a year."
While describing the task as "extremely difficult", Zelenskyy said Europe has the industrial and technological capacity to deliver. He confirmed discussions with several European leaders but did not name participating countries or provide technical details.
The urgency of the proposal is linked to a global shortage of interceptor missiles. Supplies of U.S. Patriot systems have tightened due to competing demands.
Washington has deployed significant resources to the Persian Gulf to defend allied interests against Iranian missile threats, stretching production capacity already under pressure from the war in Ukraine.
As a result, Ukraine has had to ration its most effective air defence systems. Europe’s own alternative, the SAMP/T (Mamba) system developed by Italy and France, remains limited in number and cannot be scaled quickly enough to meet demand.
Alongside political efforts, Ukraine’s defence industry is advancing its own solutions.
Fire Point, a Ukrainian manufacturer known for its ‘Flamingo’ cruise missile, recently told Reuters it is in discussions with major European defence firms to develop a new air defence system by next year.
The aim is to produce a lower-cost alternative to the Patriot system. By combining Ukrainian battlefield data with European manufacturing capacity, developers hope to create an interceptor capable of countering Russian Iskander and Kinzhal missiles more affordably.
If successful, the project could strengthen Ukraine’s air defences while offering European countries a scalable, homegrown solution to improve their own capabilities.
Georgia has unveiled a new funding model for public universities, highlighting the different ways higher education is financed across the South Caucas...
Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant may continue operating at reduced capacity until Tuesday, temporarily easing pressure on the country’s electric...
France’s worst wildfire season since 1949 is stretching emergency services, raising questions about the country’s preparedness and increasing poli...
A tourist aircraft crashed near Peru's UNESCO-listed Nazca Lines on Saturday (1 August), killing all 13 people on board, authorities said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said Tehran is not currently involved in direct talks with Washington about reopening the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were to begin on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said late on Saturday he would hold off on a fresh attack on Iran as long as a deal could be reached quickly to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire in Greece on Sunday, killing two crew members as emergency services continued efforts to contain fires fuelled by extreme heat and dry conditions across Europe.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said wildfires that swept across France were now under control. Authorities warned that risks remained as Greece and Spain continued battling active blazes across parts of Europe.
France’s worst wildfire season since 1949 is stretching emergency services, raising questions about the country’s preparedness and increasing political pressure ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Police have arrested six people on suspicion of arson as prosecutors investigate dozens of wildfires that have broken out across Türkiye in recent days.
Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant may continue operating at reduced capacity until Tuesday, temporarily easing pressure on the country’s electricity grid during an intense heatwave.
Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday, after years of questions over the health and well-being of the 81-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Indonesian rescue teams are searching for 28 people still unaccounted for, three days after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Madura island.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment