Paris to be new headquarters of 'coalition of the willing' for Ukraine
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron host a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing during a joint military visit to the Northwood Headquarters, on July 10, 2025, in London, England (Photo: REUTERS/Leon Neal)
LONDON: Britain said on Thursday (July 10) that Paris would be the new headquarters for the so-called 'coalition of the willing' to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, with plans underway for a future coordination cell in Kyiv.
Following a three-day state visit in Britain for French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain said preparation for a ceasefire in Ukraine should "continue on an enduring, business as usual footing, to ensure that a force can deploy in the days following the cessation of hostilities."
As part of that, the two leaders held virtual talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, other international leaders and US representatives, including Special Presidential Envoy, General Keith Kellogg, Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal.
They agreed the headquarters would be in Paris and led by Britain and France to oversee all tactical and operational arrangements. The HQ will then rotate to London after the first 12 months.
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The agreement comes after Russia launched on Thursday around 400 drones and 18 missiles at Kyiv and several other regions, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.
Two people were killed, 25 wounded, and damages were reported in nearly every district in Kyiv.
Russian air defences downed four Ukrainian drones bound for Moscow on Thursday, according to city mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
Operations were suspended at three airports in the Moscow area - Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky - Russia's aviation authority Rosaviatsiya said, without mentioning the cause.
Russian Defence Ministry said 14 drones had also been shot down over the Bryansk region and another eight over the Belgorod region; both areas that border Ukraine.
