Poland hosts first Coalition of the Willing military exercises for Ukraine
The French and British-led exercise brings together 2,800 military personnel from eleven countries to test preparations for securing lasting peace after the war.
By Lorenzo Evans ·
The Coalition of the Willing begins its first military exercises in support of Ukraine in Poland on Monday, 9 November. The drills involve 2,800 military personnel from eleven countries and are scheduled to continue until 22 November, with France and the United Kingdom leading the exercise.
The French and British defence ministries said the aim is to test how a lasting peace could be secured after the war ends. Named Exercise Koalicja 2026, or Coalition 2026, the drills are being hosted principally by Poland, according to the defence ministry in Warsaw. Details were reported by German news network RND, citing the German news agency dpa, and relayed by European Pravda.
British sources said the exercise would simulate the deployment of troops and the movement of supplies, including food and fuel. Those scenarios form part of the exercise's stated focus on preparations for the period after the war, with participating countries contributing personnel, aircraft, equipment and logistical support.
France said it would provide approximately 1,000 soldiers for the drills. Its armed forces also announced plans to deploy short-range surveillance drones and systems designed to counter drones. The United Kingdom, according to statements from its government, will contribute around 300 military personnel along with several fighter jets.
Germany's contribution will include approximately ten staff officers from the Bundeswehr, as well as aircraft for in-flight refuelling and logistical support. Other participating countries named in the report are Belgium, Estonia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden. The exercise involves eleven countries in total, while the wider coalition comprises around 35 nations.
The Coalition of the Willing was created at the beginning of 2025 to support Ukraine. A decision to establish a multinational force followed in December of that year, when a summit on Ukraine was held in Berlin. The exercises in Poland are the coalition's first.
The drills will take place during a period that also includes two scheduled meetings concerning support for Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a Coalition of the Willing meeting in Berlin on 19 November, before the exercise concludes.
Two days earlier, on 17 November, the Ukraine Defence Contact Group is due to meet at NATO headquarters in Brussels. That group is also known as the Ramstein format.
