UK convenes "coalition of the willing", Zelenskyy to join - Politico

Next week, on Thursday, on the sidelines of the summit in the UK, a meeting of the "coalition of the willing" will take place – a loose partnership of Western countries that pledge support to Ukraine. According to an official from the Élysée Palace in Paris, some leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will join the meeting remotely from Rome, where the Ukrainian head of state is participating in a conference dedicated to supporting Kyiv, UNN reports with reference to Politico.

A summit of the coalition of the willing, led by the President of France and the Prime Minister of Great Britain, will take place... The agenda includes how to keep Ukraine combat-ready, how to increase pressure on Russia, and how to continue working on the next steps.

Details

The Prime Minister's Office at Downing Street did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At this stage, it is unclear which leaders of the coalition, which includes over thirty countries, will travel to Britain.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will join the talks from the headquarters in Northwood, where NATO's Maritime Command is located.

The coalition of the willing is led by France and the United Kingdom. The goal of the alliance is to provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Its members have not met since March due to disagreements over any military means of US support and the need for Washington's support for a possible deployment of support troops in Ukraine.

As US President Donald Trump failed to engage Moscow in ceasefire talks, the dialogue among Europeans focused on Ukraine's needs as Russia intensifies its air attacks, shelling Kyiv and other cities.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has suspended deliveries of promised air defense missiles to Ukraine due to fears that US weapons arsenals have been depleted too much. Ukrainian officials warn that freezing aid will only encourage Russia.

The aforementioned official from the Élysée Palace denied any change in the coalition's priorities, which from the very beginning focused on Ukraine's military needs.

Addition

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Ukraine is defending Europe's security, so NATO partners will continue to support it. According to him, a significant strengthening of NATO is a strong result for Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can count on us and NATO. The fact that we are significantly strengthening NATO today is a strong and positive result for Ukraine.