Kyiv hosts 'Coalition of the Willing' meeting - Ukraine's Minister of Defence highlights key negotiation elements

A strategic meeting took place in Kyiv, attended by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov, Chief of the French General Staff General Thierry Burkhard, and Chief of the UK Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin.

During the negotiations, the participants discussed the next steps to strengthen Ukraine's security system, as well as the formation of a new security architecture for Europe.

The main focus of the discussions was on implementing security agreements after the active phase of the war and on the role of international partners within the so-called "Coalition of the willing."

"This is an important element in ensuring stability, preventing further aggression, and creating the conditions for the country's recovery. Ukraine is ready for peace. But this peace must be just, reliable, and secured by the force of international support," said Ukraine's Minister of Defence, Rustem Umerov.

Photo: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (mod.gov.ua)

The parties also discussed operational planning and the readiness to immediately implement decisions in case of cessation of hostilities.

Umerov thanked France, the United Kingdom, and all the partners of the "Coalition of the Willing" for their consistent and resolute support of Ukraine during the most difficult period.

'Coalition of the Willing'

The "Coalition of the Willing" is a group of European countries that have agreed to support Ukraine in its full-scale war with Russia.

One of the allies' initiatives is the deployment of a peacekeeping contingent. The coalition was announced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on March 2, 2025.

Since the establishment of the initiative, several meetings have taken place, but no concrete decisions have been made yet.

The last meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" took place on April 4 in Kyiv. General Thierry Burkhard outlined the main tasks of the negotiations.