Towards a common defense system in Europe? Ukraine will hold discussions with various European countries on the establishment of a common air defense system, Volodymr Zelensky announced during a speech marking Armorer’s Day on April 13.
“This week we will have a conversation with the Europeans with negotiations on the creation of a common air defense system. I am convinced that either Ukraine will become an integral part of the European security system, or some in Europe risk becoming part of the Russian world », Specified the Ukrainian president.
He did not fail to point out that Ukraine’s security experience and military expertise are “now the most sought-after products by dozens of countries in the world.” “Ukraine is a global producer of strength and security. This is already the case and it will remain so,” he added, announcing these discussions with European partners following his tour to the Middle East.
The accuracy of the Ukrainian president’s intentions remains open to interpretation for the moment. It is unclear whether his remarks concern the technical development of fully joint air defense systems, or whether it is rather an initiative to merge national air defense systems into a coherent regional mesh, notes Militarnyi.
Industrial collaborations already materialized
Alongside these discussions, Ukraine is stepping up its efforts to ensure that the production of missiles for Western air defense systems used by its Defense Forces takes place on its territory. The question of local production of surface-to-air missiles was addressed at the request of Ukraine in April 2025, during the Ramstein meeting. kyiv had encountered refusals, notably from Washington regarding the production license for Patriot systems.
Despite some setbacks, promising industrial collaborations have materialized such as that with the Norwegian government, in partnership with Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, which is financing the development of Ukrainian surface-to-air missiles specifically adapted to the Nasams system. The integration of these missiles was confirmed in February 2025, and a joint venture is even being created in Ukraine to increase the production of Nasams missiles using Ukrainian technology. Kongsberg also designed a short-range air defense system for Ukrainian Inguar-3 vehicles.
For their part, Ukrainian companies also offer solutions. The Ukrainian company Fire Point, for example, is promoting its “Freya” project, aimed at integrating Ukrainian developments into a hybrid missile defense system, combining local production of S-300/S-400 missiles and European radars.