Latvia ready to join Coalition of the Willing, some details must be carved out - Defense Minister

According to Sprūds, the meeting of the defense ministers of the Coalition of the Willing, organized by Britain and France in Brussels, discussed the possibility of supporting Ukraine.

“It (the reassurance force - ed.) is an important mechanism how we can support Ukraine as well. Of course, some details must be carved out,” he emphasized.

According to the minister, Latvia has confirmed its readiness to be part of the Coalition of the Willing, emphasizing the importance of the ability to take concrete actions.

“We believe that we must be part of the Coalition of the Willing and I would even add Coalition of the Able... Reassurance force still, of course, must be discussed in details. There are several dimensions to it, but I would not go too much public before we also make some decisions,” Spruds explained.

He also noted that further discussions on mechanisms to support Ukraine and the reassurance force remain on the agenda.

“We have to deal with ensuring a sustainable and just peace, supporting Ukraine. And then at the same time, of course, we are speaking specifically about concrete mechanisms what we can do also within the framework of reassurance force,” he summarized.

Coalition of the Willing to support Ukraine

The Coalition of the Willing is an initiative to support Ukraine launched by the United Kingdom and France. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the creation on March 2, 2025.

It provides for a reassurance force to assist Ukraine.

About 15 countries have joined the coalition, including France, Britain, Canada, and Australia. They have agreed to send military contingents for defense and cover, but not to take part in active combat.

Read more about Coalition of the Willing in RBC-Ukraine's article.

A meeting of the coalition representatives was recently held in Kyiv. Read more about the meeting in our report.