Written by: Oleksandr Levchenko
The latest "Coalition of the Willing" meeting in support of Ukraine was held at NATO's headquarters on April 10th, followed by the start of the "Ramstein" format meeting on April 11th.
On April 10th, British Defense Minister John Healy and French Minister for Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu co-chaired the "Coalition of the Willing" meeting. This coalition, which was formed on February 17th, followed a call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Afterward, French President Emmanuel Macron convened a meeting of European leaders. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted the second leaders' meeting in London on March 2nd, with a broader group of participants. Another meeting took place in London on March 15th, and the fourth occurred in Paris on March 27th. The Paris meeting focused on financial and military support for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, and the EU’s preparedness plan through 2030.
During the April 10th meeting in Brussels, four key objectives were outlined for the forces providing security guarantees to Ukraine. "Our plans are well-developed, and we have clear goals for Ukraine," stated the British defense minister. "First, we must ensure a safe sky. Second, we need to secure the seas. Third, we aim to support peace on the ground. And fourth, we will strengthen the Ukrainian armed forces to serve as a powerful deterrent force". He further explained that the Coalition’s future military mission — referred to as "security assurance forces" — would work to achieve these objectives. "The forces providing security guarantees to Ukraine will become a decisive and reliable element of the security system, ensuring that any peace agreement will deliver what President Trump promised—lasting peace for Ukraine", Healy emphasized.
The "Coalition of the Willing" is made up of 30 countries committed to establishing a lasting, just peace in Ukraine, offering security guarantees that may include the deployment of foreign troops in the country.
After the meeting, the head of the British Ministry of Defense clarified that the future force would not serve as peacekeepers, saying, "These will not be peacekeeping forces tasked with separating the warring sides along the contact line. The best deterrent against Putin’s renewed aggression and the most effective way to bolster Ukraine’s military is through the strength of the Ukrainian military itself."
At the same time, Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, highlighted that the "Coalition of the Willing" represents a new framework for long-term support for Ukraine and European security. He noted that it unites countries willing to collaborate for sustainable, lasting peace and that it is a strategic step toward modernizing Europe’s security architecture to confront the ongoing threat from Russia.
While there is no official list of coalition members, it is believed that countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Baltic States (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia), the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Spain, Denmark, Romania, Norway, Finland, Turkey, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others may be involved.
The United Kingdom is considering deploying up to 10,000 troops to Ukraine for up to five years to ensure stability and support Ukrainian forces. Both the UK and France have expressed strong support for sending troops to Ukraine, particularly during the "Coalition of the Willing" meeting in Paris on March 27th. At the current meeting in Brussels, four additional countries—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—have also expressed their willingness to send troops to Ukraine.
The following day, NATO’s headquarters hosted the start of the "Ramstein" format meeting. After Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, the UK initially took over the chairmanship of the Contact Group on Ukraine defense matters within the "Ramstein" format, followed by joint leadership with Germany. Before that, the United States had chaired the Contact Group meetings.
At the April 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, held in the Ramstein format, representatives from around 40 countries gathered. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin joined via video link. Germany, along with ten other partner nations, has formed a new Coalition for Electromagnetic Warfare Capabilities. This coalition aims to enhance Ukraine’s ability to counter drones, protect communications, and identify and destroy enemy networks, ultimately safeguarding both civilians and soldiers.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who is expected to remain in office under Germany’s new coalition government, announced additional aid for Ukraine. "Initially, Germany committed 4 billion euros in aid for 2025. Recently, the Bundestag approved another 3 billion for this year, and an additional 8 billion by 2029. So, that’s a total of over 11 billion euros," Pistorius emphasized.
Germany will supply four more IRIS-T air defense systems, along with 300 guided missiles and 30 Patriot missiles. Other planned deliveries include 300 reconnaissance drones, 120 air defense systems, 25 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 15 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks, 14 artillery systems, 100 ground surveillance radars, and an additional 100,000 shells. Pistorius also mentioned that leaders would "discuss" Ukraine’s request for permission to produce missiles locally under license.
In addition, Estonia announced it would soon send a shipment of artillery shells and dry rations to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur made this statement ahead of the Ramstein meeting in Brussels, saying, “We will deliver 10,000 155mm shells and 750,000 soldier food packages”. He called for increased military and financial support for Ukraine.
Lithuania also revealed plans to allocate 20 million euros to support ammunition procurement for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is set to receive a new military aid package worth 450 million pounds ($589 million). Of this, 350 million pounds will come from the UK, with the rest from Norway. The package includes 160 million pounds for repairing and maintaining vehicles and equipment already delivered to Ukraine. It also covers radar systems, anti-tank mines, and hundreds of thousands of FPV drones, valued at over 250 million pounds. The UK has committed a total of 4.5 billion pounds in military aid to Ukraine through 2025.
The Netherlands is allocating 150 million euros to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense, according to Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans. The Netherlands has consistently supported Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression. In March, the Netherlands announced a 700 million-euro investment in drone production, with some of the funds directed toward supporting Ukraine’s defense industry. In December, the Netherlands allocated an additional 22 million euros to bolster Ukraine’s air defense and cybersecurity resilience.
Norway will also provide significant support, including modern weaponry, armored vehicles, and other technological solutions for Ukrainian brigades. Ensuring the availability of ammunition is another priority. As an active participant in the "Czech Initiative," Norway is prepared to commit substantial resources to purchase high-quality shells. The Norwegian government has pledged that its aid to Ukraine will reach up to 7 billion euros by 2025. New joint projects with Norwegian companies are planned, particularly in air defense and maritime technologies.
On the other hand, the President of Ukraine stressed, "Our priority is air defense, and our partners must hear us. Ukrainians know how to be precise. We’ve already learned how to take down many of Russia’s terror weapons. We just need to close the gap in air defense systems so that our protection from the sky becomes stronger." He emphasized that partners could assist in this effort and accelerate the implementation of all previously made agreements.
“2025 is a key year for Ukraine. Our task as defense ministers is to ensure Ukrainian fighters have the support they need. We must strengthen deterrence against Russian aggression while continuing to enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities,” concluded British Defense Secretary John Healy at the Ramstein meeting.
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