Coalition of the Willing to establish joint headquarters in Paris and London
British Army will also be present in Ukraine (Getty Images)
The United Kingdom and France have agreed to establish a joint headquarters for the Coalition of the Willing, which will be located in Paris and relocated to London in a year. The headquarters will coordinate the deployment of European forces in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, according to a statement published on the UK government's website.
The UK government noted that, for the first time, the coalition meeting was attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg.
Among the other decisions made at the meeting was the creation of a multinational headquarters in Paris, to be led jointly by France and the UK. This headquarters will oversee all operational and tactical efforts. In a year, it will be relocated to London, and once forces are deployed in Ukraine, a coordination group will be established in Kyiv, headed by a senior British officer.
For the first time, the specific tasks that allied forces will carry out in Ukraine have been clearly defined:
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Restoration, restructuring, and strengthening of Ukraine's ground forces.
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Joint efforts with Ukraine to ensure safe airspace, creating conditions suitable for the resumption of civilian air travel.
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Security in the Black Sea region, with support from the Black Sea Operational Group composed of Türkiye, Romania, and Bulgaria. The group will be reinforced with additional equipment and personnel.
According to the statement, during the meeting, leaders condemned President Putin's brutal attacks on Ukrainian cities and his disregard for peace negotiations. They reaffirmed their determination to keep up pressure on Putin to stop unlawful assaults and engage meaningfully in peace talks.
According to London, the coalition planning process involves 30 international partners and over 200 planners.
On July 10, UK Defense Secretary John Healey stated that the United Kingdom is ready to send troops to Ukraine. Britain believes that the deployment of its forces would strengthen a potential ceasefire regime.
