Ukraine’s allies gathered in Paris Monday to ramp up support for Kyiv, particularly in air defence, and increase pressure on Russia to end the war, which is well into its fifth year.
Representatives of the 37 coalition members, including Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, arrived at Les Invalides in the French capital for the summit of the Coalition of the Willing, launched by France and the United Kingdom to provide military support to Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The coalition is expected to announce the first joint exercises of the Multinational Force for Ukraine, to demonstrate its readiness to deploy once the fighting has ended, military sources said.
Leaders are also expected to focus on co-operation on air and missile defence with Ukraine, whose air defences have come under strain from repeated Russian ballistic missile strikes in recent weeks.
The meeting is “to make sure that the commitment is still there from all nations”, Sweden’s top military commander Michael Claesson told journalists.
Before the summit, nine European countries and Ukraine announced the formation of a coalition to develop “purely defensive” anti-ballistic capabilities for Europe, citing a growing threat from such missiles.
“We do this not against any people, but in defence of our own,” said the joint declaration by Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
“We are stepping up our support for Ukraine. Strengthening its defences, increasing the pressure on Russia and building the security guarantees of tomorrow,” added French President Emmanuel Macron on X with a photo of assembled attendees.
The meetings come the day before France’s national public holiday Bastille Day, which includes a military parade that this year will highlight support for Ukraine.
During the traditional speech delivered to the armed forces before Bastille Day, Macron said Europe was “in the process of becoming a power” ready to “defend itself”.
“The message we send to the world is this: Yes, peace is our goal. Yes, we cherish freedom and the rule of law. And yes, we stand ready to fight to defend them. Always, and at the cost of blood if necessary,” Macron said.
Macron in his speech also called for more European defence industry partnerships, despite France and Germany last month abandoning a joint fighter jet programme.
‘Coalition of warmongers’
Moscow Monday dismissed the summit as a gathering of leaders who “do not want peace”.
“This is a coalition of warmongers,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The summit comes at a “powerful moment of renewed transatlantic convergence and unity”, but also of “more favourable developments on the ground” for Kyiv, the Elysee said.
