Members of the so-called Coalition of the Willing will meet on Monday in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to discuss continued support for the war-torn country amid another year of Russian aggression.
French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will co-chair Monday’s hybrid Coalition of the Willing meeting, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also participating.
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The leaders, some of which will dial-in remotely, will reaffirm their support for Kyiv while advancing work on security guarantees that aim to foster a long and lasting peace if a ceasefire is brokered, according to a statement released by the Élysée Palace.
The statement adds that the leaders will also continue to condemn Russia for its full-scale invasion and discuss coordinated measures aiming to curtail resources supporting its war efforts. This includes ‘shadow fleet’ vessels, which are oil tankers circumventing EU sanctions.
The date of the meeting is significant, as Monday marks 35 years since Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union.
European Council President António Costa will attend in-person, official documents confirm. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is not scheduled to attend the meeting in person.
The Coalition of the Willing is a group of 34 countries that have pledged and delivered support to Ukraine amid Russia’s full-scale invasion, such as the anti-ballistic coalition, an agreement to deploy troops or equipment for post-war Ukraine and the UK participating in the EU's €90 billion loan for Ukraine.