Ukraine, 9 European nations form ballistic missile defence coalition — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Ukraine and nine European countries have agreed to establish a coalition to develop a joint ballistic missile defence system, while Russia denounced the initiative as “warmongering” and warned it would intensify its response to Ukrainian attacks. The decision was announced on Monday during a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris, attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Spain and Sweden, the Associated Press (AP) reported. “Our goal is to build a shared ballistic missile defence capability for Europe,” the 10 countries said in a joint statement issued after the meeting. The statement said Ukraine’s experience gained during more than four years of defending itself against large-scale Russian attacks would play a key role in designing the system. Zelenskyy said Ukraine and its European partners could develop a low-cost, mass-producible missile defence system within the next 12 months. He added that the system would not only strengthen Europe’s defence capabilities but could also be supplied to other countries in need. According to AP, the Paris meeting brought together representatives from more than 30 countries, including about 25 heads of state and government, underscoring Europe’s long-term commitment to supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow would…