Ukraine and nine European countries have announced the formation of an air defense coalition aimed at countering Russia's ballistic missile threat. The announcement came Monday during a meeting of the 'Coalition of the Willing' in Paris.

The coalition includes Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, and the UK. They plan to develop a new anti-ballistic missile system as a cheaper alternative to the US Patriot system.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies for more weapons and pushed for a joint European air defense system. He stated that the 'Freyja' project is meant to supplement, not replace, existing systems.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Ukraine has ordered 16 Rafale fighter jets and received a license to produce French missiles, including SCALP cruise missiles. Allies also agreed to conduct military exercises in countries neighboring Ukraine.

Source: www.aljazeera.com