Western Leaders to Meet in Paris to Bolster Ukraine’s Air Defenses

Western leaders will meet in Paris on Monday to discuss further support for Ukraine’s air defenses. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and at least 25 other world leaders will attend the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing.

The talks will also cover security guarantees under a potential peace agreement and a unified approach toward Russia.

The meeting comes days after the NATO summit, which sought to demonstrate the allies’ unity and long-term support for Kyiv. On Saturday, Russia launched missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, killing eight people and injuring dozens more.

France plans to discuss providing additional missiles for US-made Patriot systems, accelerating the deployment of the Franco-Italian SAMP-T system and developing alternative solutions with the European and Ukrainian defense industries.

French officials said Ukraine was critically short of air defense ammunition, limiting its ability to intercept ballistic missiles.

The leaders will also consider further restrictions on Russian revenue, particularly measures targeting the so-called shadow fleet used to transport Russian oil.

(Reuters, bak)