Ukraine is preparing to host a summit of its key European supporters later today, from whom it is seeking above all air defense weapons — facing a critical shortage amid mounting pressure from Russia, as Russian ballistic missile strikes continue to claim the lives of an increasing number of civilians.
The summit of member states of the “Coalition of the Willing” is being organized on the day that marks the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s declaration of independence on August 24, 1991. The meeting will be co-chaired by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will be present, making his first foreign trip to Kyiv, while European Council President António Costa is also expected to attend in person.
Other leaders are expected to participate remotely in the talks, against the backdrop of a fresh escalation of the war — exactly four and a half years after its outbreak on February 24, 2022.
The “Coalition of the Willing,” born from a Franco-British initiative originally aimed at rallying states prepared to send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, has since transformed into a support forum for Kyiv amid uncertainty over the commitments of Donald Trump’s United States.
Norway to contribute over $9 billion to Ukraine in fiscal year 2027
At the same time, the Norwegian government intends to donate a further 85 billion kroner (approximately $9.2 billion) to Ukraine in fiscal year 2027 — an amount essentially equal to what it announced for 2026 — according to a statement released on Sunday.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and the leaders of Nordic and Baltic countries visited Kyiv on Sunday in a show of solidarity with Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia.
The Norwegian donation is earmarked for both military and humanitarian expenditure, Prime Minister Støre said, according to the text of his speech released by his government in Oslo.
“Supporting and rebuilding Ukraine is not simply aid. It is an investment in Europe’s own security,” Støre stated.
Meanwhile, Finland and Ukraine signed a letter of intent for the production and deployment of unmanned aerial systems on Finnish soil, as well as a memorandum of understanding on the production of unmanned surface maritime systems, among other agreements, according to a statement from President Zelensky’s office.
Support from Britain and France — Burnham gives the green light for SCALP missile assembly
In recent weeks, Russian armed forces have repeatedly targeted Kyiv with volleys of ballistic missiles, striking residential apartment buildings among other targets and leaving dozens of civilians dead.
After nearly every such attack — which forces tens of thousands of residents to seek shelter in Kyiv’s metro stations, other shelters, and underground spaces — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls on Kyiv’s allies to provide the means to strengthen its air defenses.
“Russia must have no doubt about our resolve,” Andy Burnham said in a statement released by his office before arriving in Kyiv. “We will not back down until a just and lasting peace is restored.”
Against this backdrop, diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the deadliest armed conflict in Europe since World War II remain at a standstill.
Russia is demanding territorial and political concessions that Ukraine refuses to make, viewing them as tantamount to surrender and as merely setting the stage for a future Russian offensive.
Mr. Burnham is expected to announce that his government has given the green light for defense manufacturer MBDA to share “classified information on the British components of the long-range SCALP missile” — the French equivalent of the British Storm Shadow cruise missile — something that “will allow the French and Ukrainians to proceed with assembling the missile on Ukrainian soil.”
For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged on Saturday that his country would supply Ukraine with new interceptor missiles.
The ballistic missiles launched by Russia in volleys of dozens reach extremely high speeds and follow an arcing trajectory at very high altitudes, making them exceptionally difficult to intercept.
Shortage of interceptor missiles
As Ukraine’s domestically produced weapons systems are incapable of intercepting these missiles, Ukrainian armed forces rely on more advanced systems — chiefly the American Patriot batteries in their arsenal — to protect their airspace.
Ahead of today’s summit, Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that deliveries of missiles for the Patriot systems had been cut in half since 2023.
“Throughout all of 2023, Ukraine received 675 missiles, compared to just 364 throughout all of 2025 — even as Russian missile strikes intensified,” the Ukrainian president said, disclosing figures that are normally kept under strict secrecy.
“For 2026, current projections indicate 264 missiles,” he added, noting that Kyiv is requesting at least 300 ahead of winter.
However, the United States — with stockpiles depleted by the war in the Middle East — appears reluctant to send large quantities of interceptor missiles.
According to Zelensky, Russia is capable of producing approximately 100 ballistic missiles per month.
For its part, Ukraine is intensifying its own long-range strikes against energy and logistical infrastructure inside Russia, targeting in particular oil refineries and warehouses belonging to e-commerce companies.
AFP
