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Zelenskyy Urges UK, France, and Germany to Build European Alternative to US Patriot System
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Britain, France, and Germany to support the development of a European-made alternative to the US Patriot air defense system.
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According to The Guardian on June 9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United Kingdom, France, and Germany had agreed to help Ukraine strengthen its defenses against ballistic missile threats following talks in London on June 7 with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The discussions focused on countering Russian ballistic missile attacks and addressing shortages of interceptor missiles capable of engaging such targets.
The Patriot system remains one of the few Western air defense platforms able to intercept ballistic missiles, particularly when equipped with PAC-3 MSE interceptors. According to The Guardian, Zelenskyy said each Patriot interceptor costs approximately $4 million, while Ukrainian stockpiles have come under increasing pressure amid continued Russian missile strikes.
According to The Guardian, Zelenskyy proposed that the UK, France, and Germany combine industrial and financial resources to develop a European-controlled interceptor program rather than relying exclusively on US production. In return, Ukraine is prepared to share operational experience gained during more than four years of large-scale warfare.
“The UK is among them. And NATO is very interested in it. This is priceless information. There is a huge volume of it,” Zelenskyy said, as quoted by The Guardian.
Europe currently fields one air defense system with anti-ballistic missile capability, the Franco-Italian SAMP/T system equipped with Aster 30 interceptors. Ukraine received a SAMP/T battery in 2023 and has used the system operationally, although production volumes remain limited compared with demand.
At the same time, Ukrainian defense companies are pursuing domestic alternatives. Ukrainian manufacturer Fire Point recently released footage of tests involving its FP-7.X interceptor missile. Fire Point aims to develop a complete air defense system capable of engaging ballistic targets by 2027.
Fire Point co-founder and chief designer Denis Shtilyerman said the company is targeting a cost below $1 million per interceptor. He noted that defeating a single ballistic missile often requires multiple Patriot interceptors, significantly increasing the cost of each engagement.
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