Paris is set to host a high-level meeting of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” on Monday, bringing together at least 25 heads of state or government to reaffirm Western support for Ukraine. The gathering, scheduled at the Hôtel des Invalides, comes on the eve of France’s annual Bastille Day military parade and underscores the continent’s continued focus on the war in Ukraine.
Created in Paris and co-led with the United Kingdom, the coalition has expanded to include 37 countries, meeting both in person and via video conference. Two new members, Moldova and North Macedonia, will participate for the first time on Monday, signaling a broadening of the alliance beyond the EU and NATO core.
Air Defense and Security Guarantees Top the Agenda
According to the French presidency, the allies aim to “strengthen” a renewed sense of unity and cooperation, building on commitments made at the recent G7 summit in Évian and the NATO summit in Ankara. At those meetings, allies pledged €70 billion in military aid to Kyiv for 2026. The objective, an adviser to President Emmanuel Macron said, is to demonstrate that Western support remains steadfast and that Moscow cannot rely on “war fatigue” to erode it.
Coalition leaders will focus on air defense cooperation, including newly announced US plans for licensed production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine. They will also discuss the creation of an anti-ballistic missile system, a capability Kyiv has long sought to counter Russian aerial attacks.
On the question of security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a hypothetical ceasefire, the French presidency indicated that plans to deploy a multinational force, stationed away from the front lines, are “ready.” However, these plans remain “subject to change,” given that the prospect of an end to hostilities still appears distant. Beyond the presence of troops on the ground, these guarantees would be based on “legally binding” bilateral agreements and on US involvement in monitoring a ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to be in Paris on both Monday and Tuesday, underscoring the importance of the talks and the ongoing diplomatic push.
Bastille Day Parade with a Coalition Flair
The meeting is timed to coincide with France’s Bastille Day celebrations on Tuesday. The Élysée Palace has said that this year’s parade will bring together nearly 6,800 service personnel, a 15% increase over last year, with a 30% rise in the number of vehicles and aircraft taking part. In a symbolic show of solidarity, nearly 500 service members from the countries of the Coalition of the Willing are expected to lead the parade.
The French military’s aerial acrobatics team, the Patrouille de France, will be accompanied by two Mirage fighter jets carrying Ukrainian co-pilots trained in France. German, British, Croatian, Danish, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, and Swedish aircraft are also set to feature in the parade, highlighting the multinational nature of the support for Ukraine.
The gathering in Paris comes amid continued Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian areas, as well as Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and ports, as reported in Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Oil Refineries and Azov Port. The coalition’s meeting also follows the NATO summit in Ankara, where leaders discussed security and defense, including the unusual gift of engraved revolvers from Turkish President Erdoğan, as covered in NATO Leaders Respond to Erdoğan's Unusual Gift of Engraved Revolvers.
The Paris talks are expected to reinforce the message that Europe and its allies remain committed to Ukraine’s defense, even as the conflict enters its third year. The coalition’s expansion to include Moldova and North Macedonia also reflects a broader effort to stabilize the wider European neighborhood.
