Ukraine will host a meeting with its key European allies to discuss air defence and press for greater pressure on Moscow as Russia continues to escalate missile attacks.
The “Coalition of the Willing” meeting in Kyiv will be jointly chaired by the leaders of France and Germany, who will join remotely, and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who arrived in the Ukrainian capital early on Monday.
European Council President Antonio Costa is also attending in person. Kyiv is expected to seek additional interceptor missiles from allies after weeks of Russian missile and drone attacks that have driven record numbers of the capital city’s residents to metro stations and basements to seek shelter.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made frequent public appeals for more air defence supplies from allies.
The meeting takes place on Ukraine’s Independence Day and comes a day after the country marked National Flag Day, when a group of leaders from Nordic and Baltic countries met Zelenskyy in Kyiv and pledged to boost their support for Ukraine.
Norway said it would provide another 85 billion kroner ($9.1bn) in 2027, matching the support it gave Ukraine this year.
Russia and Ukraine have escalated air attacks with drones and missiles in recent weeks, striking targets far beyond the front line.
Ukraine’s allies have pledged to boost Ukraine’s depleted air defences in the face of Russia’s growing missile attacks.
Before the meeting, Zelenskyy said deliveries of crucial Patriot interceptors had halved since 2023.
“Over the entire of 2023, Ukraine received 675 missiles, and over all of 2025 – 364, even though Russian missile strikes have increased,” he said.
“For 2026, as currently projected, it is 264,” he added, saying Ukraine was seeking a package of at least 300 for the upcoming winter.
Credit: aljazeera.com
