- Category
- World
“This Cannot Wait”: Zelenskyy Urges Europe to Build Its Own Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense Systems
Prefer U24 Media on Google
- Authors
![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
European allies must accelerate the development and production of anti-ballistic missile defense systems, as Russia's ballistic missile arsenal remains one of Moscow's key military advantages, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Speaking at the NATO Defense Industry Forum on July 7, held alongside the Alliance's summit in Ankara, Zelenskyy said Europe must rapidly develop its own capacity to produce anti-ballistic air defense systems and interceptor missiles, as reported by UNITED24 Media correspondent present at the event.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
“The one thing we still need to do here in Europe is build a strong defense against Russia's ballistic missiles. It's a big challenge, it's true. This is Russia's last major advantage. As we have seen from the wars in the Middle East and the Gulf, this is an issue of global importance. And I believe Europe urgently needs its own capability to produce anti-ballistic systems and the missiles they require,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy praised the Patriot air defense system but argued that existing production levels are insufficient to meet growing demand.
“We all value the Patriot system. It's an excellent system, and there are others as well, but today's wars have shown that current Patriot production is not enough to meet the growing demand for protection against ballistic missiles. That is a fact. And we must respond to it,” he said.
The Ukrainian President said Kyiv had already discussed obtaining production licenses for Patriot systems with the United States and appealed to NATO partners to support those efforts.
He also urged European governments and defense industries to accelerate the development of indigenous anti-ballistic missile systems, warning that “this cannot wait until 2030 or beyond” and calling for the rapid deployment of new capabilities.
“Europe needs affordable, mass-produced anti-ballistic systems as soon as possible. In fact, today,” Zelenskyy noted.
He added that strengthening Europe's missile defense should be driven by security rather than commercial interests.
“This is not about maximizing profits for governments or for industry. It is about providing the strongest possible protection, first of all. Protection for hundreds of millions of Europeans. And that protection is needed today, not years from now,” Zelenskyy said.
While efforts to develop new anti-ballistic capabilities continue, the Ukrainian President reiterated that Kyiv's most urgent requirement remains additional interceptor missiles for existing air defense systems.
“Please help us get more air defense missiles. This is our top priority right now,” Zelenskyy said.
Separately, in an interview with the Financial Times, Ukrainian President said the prospects for ending Russia's war against Ukraine would improve if Ukrainian long-range drone strikes placed greater pressure on Moscow and St. Petersburg, forcing Russia's political elite to experience the consequences of the war firsthand.
Discuss this article:
-4a56a6b482ec132402c16ef6fcabf9a2.png)
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
