'Coalition of the willing' for Ukraine stalls over lack of US backstop, Bloomberg reports
The effort of the British- and French-led "coalition of the willing" to provide security guarantees to Ukraine faces delays due to missing commitments from the U.S., Bloomberg reported on April 9, citing undisclosed sources.
The coalition of European and other partners is meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on April 10 to discuss a path toward a safe and secure Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, with the deployment of European peacekeepers floated as a possible part of the plan.
The Trump administration has ruled out U.S. participation in the so-called "reassurance force," but London and Paris seek to convince Washington to at least provide airpower, intelligence support, or border surveillance as a backstop to the coalition's efforts.
U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to offer any clear security guarantees to Ukraine and the coalition as Washington signals a reduced military presence on the continent.
U.K. officials insist that the U.S. contribution is a necessary part of the coalition's efforts, Bloomberg reported, casting doubt on the initiative's future unless the allies succeed in convincing Trump.
Publicly, French President Emmanuel Macron took a bolder line, saying the plan for the reassurance force would go ahead "with or without the U.S."
At least 37 countries, including European, Asian, and Commonwealth nations, have been involved in the coalition's discussions, with 15 reportedly ready to contribute their troops. Other members have been asked to provide other forms of support, including intelligence, arms, or naval support.
The Ukrainian military is still perceived as the main pillar of deterrence against further Russian aggression, while the allied troops, which could number between 10,000 and 30,000, would secure strategic facilities in the rear.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer first presented the coalition during a London summit on March 2 amid growing uncertainties about continued U.S. support. Trump has not approved any new defense aid packages for Ukraine and even briefly paused the already approved military assistance to push Kyiv to the negotiating table.
Trump's efforts to broker a ceasefire have stalled, as Moscow has rejected a full 30-day truce agreed upon by Kyiv and Washington and reportedly violated a partial truce on strikes against energy infrastructure.
Dominic Culverwell
