New coalition of the willing headquarters as leaders step up support for Ukraine’s immediate fight
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The Coalition of the Willing will have a new permanent headquarters
in Paris, with plans in place for a future coordination cell in
Kyiv, as command structures for the future reassurance force are
finalised. It comes after leaders from the Coalition of the Willing
met virtually today, with the Prime Minister and President Macron
joining from the UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood and
President Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Meloni and other leaders
joining from the...Request free trial
The Coalition of the Willing will have a new permanent headquarters in Paris, with plans in place for a future coordination cell in Kyiv, as command structures for the future reassurance force are finalised. It comes after leaders from the Coalition of the Willing met virtually today, with the Prime Minister and President Macron joining from the UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood and President Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Meloni and other leaders joining from the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome to discuss the latest planning and our wider efforts to support Ukraine. For the first time, representatives of the United States, including Special Presidential Envoy, General Keith Kellogg, Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal, joined the meeting. Military chiefs updated on the significant progress made, including the completion of reconnaissance visits to Ukraine, to better understand how a post-ceasefire force could best help regenerate the strength and firepower of Ukrainian forces and provide reassurance in the years to come. Following agreement on command structures for the force, leaders agreed that planning should continue on an enduring, business as usual footing, to ensure that a force can deploy in the days following the cessation of hostilities. That will include a 3-star multi-national operational headquarters in Paris, led by the UK and France, to oversee all tactical and operational arrangements. The headquarters, which will rotate to London after the first 12 months, will allow partners to contribute forces flexibly and deploy military teams for different operational strands of work. When the force deploys, a co-ordination cell, headed up by a UK 2-star military officer will also be set up in Kyiv. Following the cessation of hostilities, the force is expected to:
During the meeting, leaders condemned President Putin's brutal attacks on Ukrainian cities and disregard for peace talks and reaffirmed their determination to continue applying pressure on Putin to stop his illegal attacks and engage meaningfully in negotiations. They also welcomed progress made at the Ukraine Recovery Conference to help Ukraine grow its economy and protect its infrastructure against Russia's attacks. They agreed their priority effort must be to focus on Ukraine's immediate defence in the face of relentless Russian attacks on critical national infrastructure and civilians. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Supporting Ukraine is not just the right thing to do, it's essential for delivering security at home. That is why the Coalition of the Willing is ensuring we have a future force that can deploy following a ceasefire to deter Russian aggression for years to come. “But as we continue to prepare for peace, our focus must also be on making it happen. So, alongside our partners, in the coming days and weeks, we will step up our support to keep Ukraine in the fight now, increasing pressure on Putin through crippling sanctions and ensuring Ukraine's Armed Forces have the equipment they need to defend their sovereign territory. “I am clear that the more we do to counter Russia's aggression, the safer we will keep the British people, our allies and the Euro-Atlantic area.” President Putin has made it clear with his barbaric missile strikes that he is not ready for peace - underscoring the need for the international priority to be to strengthen Ukraine in the fight now. Despite this, Coalition of the Willing members have been steadfast about their commitment to making sure they are ready to support Ukraine to deter future Russian attacks when the conditions for peace are right. The ‘Multinational Force Ukraine' will bolster Ukraine's ability to return to peace and stability by supporting the regeneration of Ukraine's own forces. Strong Ukrainian armed forces is the best way to deter Russia – and ensure the country is able to rebuild a thriving economy and attract international investment. The military plan comes after military chiefs met in Paris on Monday to agree the strategy for the force and coordinate plans with the EU, NATO and the US and more than 200 planners from 30 international partners. Leaders have now met six times to further planning and political support for the plans. The meeting comes after Ukraine's friends and partners pledged €40bn of military support for the country in 2025 at the NATO Summit last month.
That agreement, reached last month, will boost Ukraine's drone production capacity and link the UK's defence industry with the cutting-edge technology being developed on the front lines in Ukraine. ENDS ** Statement of the Coalition of the Willing meeting by the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Ukraine 10 July 2025 Today the leaders of member states and international organisations of the Coalition of the Willing gathered in London, Rome and virtually to discuss strengthening support to Ukraine and further pressure on Russia. They welcomed the participation of United States Special Presidential Envoy, General Keith Kellogg, and Senators Graham and Blumenthal - the first time representatives of the United States have joined in the Coalition of the Willing meeting. The leaders congratulated Prime Minister Meloni of Italy on hosting the Ukraine Recovery Conference, from where President Zelenskyy and fellow leaders joined the meeting. The Leaders reiterated that President Putin's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and a threat to their security interests. They underlined their unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. They commended President Zelenskyy's sincere support for US-led efforts to reach peace. Four months have passed since Ukraine agreed to a full, unconditional ceasefire. In this time, Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine's civilian population, killing more than 700 and injuring over 3,500 in the most intense air strikes of the invasion to date. The Leaders called on Russia to end attacks against civilians, and to commit to a full and unconditional ceasefire in order to negotiate a just and lasting settlement. The Leaders supported further peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, praising efforts by President Trump on establishing a peace process backed by the United States and other close partners. This should make progress towards a meeting of leaders. Leaders also agreed to step up action against Russia's war economy. They agreed to develop further restrictive measures, in coordination with all relevant actors, against Russia's energy and financial sectors, including Russian oil and gas exports, the ‘shadow fleet', and third country supply to Russia's war machine. The Leaders reiterated that strong Ukrainian armed forces are the primary guarantee of the country's sovereignty and security. They agreed that, while Russia's aggression continues, this group would prioritise making sure that Ukraine gets the military and financial support it needs to defend itself in the fight now. Furthermore, they reaffirmed agreement to provide at least €40bn in military support to Ukraine in 2025 to bolster the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine – matching the commitment made by the NATO Alliance in 2024. They agreed to work through the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) and the Capability Coalitions to accelerate support for Ukraine's future forces. A primary priority for support is the strengthening of Ukraine's integrated air-defence capabilities. Leaders also agreed on further support to deter Russian massive drone attacks, and to increase financing for the production of drone interceptors. They reiterated their commitment to Ukraine's long-term security and to building Ukraine's ability to deter and defend against future armed attack by Russia. They welcomed the development of mature operational plans to deploy a reassurance force - the ‘Multinational Force Ukraine' - once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine's skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine's armed forces. They welcomed the establishment of a UK/French led operational headquarters to support planning activity, the commitments made by partners to contribute to the force, as well as Ukraine's readiness to issue an invitation to the force and enter into formal agreements with participating countries where necessary. Leaders also underlined the importance of ensuring fiscal and economic support for Ukraine. They agreed to draw up a collective plan to support Ukrainian public finances in 2026. They also recognised that free and safe navigation in the Black Sea will strengthen Ukraine's economy and restore food security, and reiterated their commitment to support demining efforts in the Black Sea. The Leaders also agreed to continue to explore all lawful routes to ensure that Russia pays for the damage that it has done to Ukraine, including looking at further options for the use of revenues stemming from Russian immobilised sovereign assets. |