Ukraine has formally proposed the creation of a joint aerial defence shield with its allies to strengthen protection against Russian threats, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Monday. The proposal comes after a series of Russian airspace violations that have raised alarm across NATO’s eastern flank.
NATO leaders accuse Moscow of deliberately testing the alliance’s readiness, citing recent incursions in Poland and the Baltic states. Kyiv argues that its frontline experience in countering drones and missiles would be crucial to any cooperative defence initiative.
Speaking via video link at the Warsaw Security Forum, Zelenskiy said: “Ukraine proposes to Poland and all our partners to build a joint, fully reliable shield against Russian aerial threats. This is possible. Ukraine can counter all kinds of Russian drones and missiles, and if we act together in the region, we will have enough weapons and production capacity.”
Ukraine has already offered to train Polish forces in counter-drone tactics, with defence cooperation emerging as a central theme at the Warsaw forum.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius backed the call for closer collaboration, stressing that “Europe’s and Ukraine’s defence industry must work together more closely and effectively.” He also pressed the EU to support this by introducing more flexible regulations for the defence sector.
Meanwhile, eastern flank nations have agreed on the need for a “drone wall” — a system designed to detect, track, and intercept hostile drones. However, Pistorius cautioned that the project would take years to complete. “We’re not talking about a concept that will be realised within the next three or four years,” he said. “We must prioritise and acknowledge that we need greater capabilities and capacities than previously described.”
