Poland to host joint Coalition of the Willing drills this fall
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Poland will host allied exercises involving British and French troops this fall in preparation for providing security guarantees for Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on July 14.
The announcement follows a meeting of President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing — a group of nations committed to providing military aid and security guarantees to Ukraine — in France on July 13.
"These drills will prepare the entire coalition gathered here today in Paris to provide genuine security guarantees for Ukraine, but also for the broader region," Tusk told journalists.
Warsaw would also begin logistical and financial preparations for the permanent presence of U.K. and French troops in Poland alongside U.S. forces, the prime minister added, stressing that "Europe must take greater responsibility for its security."
The Coalition of the Willing, led by the U.K. and France, has pledged to deploy a so-called reassurance force in Ukraine once a ceasefire is achieved, reinforcing the country's security on land, in the air, and at sea.
The force is meant to help train and strengthen Ukraine's own forces while also serving as a deterrent against a potential renewed Russian aggression. Poland has already ruled out sending troops on the ground as part of the reassurance force, but has offered logistical support.
Tusk also said he does not believe a ceasefire or peace in Ukraine can be reached in the near term "due to the absolutely rigid stance taken by Russia and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin."
"Everyone expects an escalation from Russia at this point, and it's quite likely that Russia will want to prolong this war at least until winter," he warned.
