The first joint military exercises of the “coalition of the willing” have begun in Poland. The drills will continue until November 22 and will bring together around 2,800 military personnel from 11 countries, the French military said.
The exercises are being led by France and the United Kingdom and are the first large-scale test of the readiness of the Multinational Force for Ukraine. Their main objective is to rehearse mechanisms for ensuring Ukraine’s long-term security after the end of the war.
France and the United Kingdom are sending the largest contingents
France will take part with around 1,100 military personnel, while the United Kingdom will send approximately 300 troops. Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey will also participate in the drills.
The bulk of the exercises will take place near Nowa Dęba in southeastern Poland, around 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Separate command and staff elements will be rehearsed in France, while the maritime component will be prepared by Turkey from Istanbul. The scenarios include security and mine-clearance operations in the Black Sea.
Germany will provide staff officers and aircraft
Germany will send around 10 staff officers, aerial refueling aircraft and logistics units. According to information released by the German Ministry of Defense through the DPA news agency, the Bundeswehr will provide up to two A400M aircraft, which will operate from German territory.
Berlin will also support the movement of military personnel, equipment and supplies through Germany to the area of the drills. Germany’s participation in the exercises does not constitute a prior decision to send troops to Ukraine. Such a step would require separate political decisions.
Preparation for a possible mission after the end of the war
The British government described the exercises as a test of European countries’ ability to move, protect and supply a multinational force that could help rebuild Ukraine’s armed forces after the fighting ends.
“This exercise will demonstrate that the Multinational Force for Ukraine is a real, capable and rapidly deployable force,” the British Ministry of Defense said.Any deployment of the force in Ukraine remains hypothetical and would depend on the cessation of hostilities, an invitation from the Ukrainian authorities and decisions by the individual countries. The “coalition of the willing” was established at the initiative of France and the United Kingdom and is not a formal NATO structure.
Sources: theguardian.com, amp.dw.com, apnews.com