Britain and France are set to lead a military exercise that will test whether a multinational force could be deployed to Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. Nearly 3,000 military personnel from 12 European nations will take part in the rehearsal in Poland this month.
Plans for a reassurance force were set out last year as one of several long-term security guarantees proposed by European nations. However, many questions remain about how such a force would work in practice, and officials have not provided full details.
Limits on the role of a proposed Ukraine force
Western officials stressed that any force sent to Ukraine would not carry out offensive operations, and would not be involved in peacekeeping or ceasefire monitoring. It would also not operate under Nato command or be positioned on the front line.
Officials said the force’s purpose would be to reassure Ukraine and help rebuild its armed forces. The United States has taken part in discussions but is not contributing to the mission.
Russia has already opposed foreign troops being stationed in Ukraine. Last year, President Vladimir Putin said such troops would be “legitimate targets”. Western officials have declined to set out the rules of engagement should international troops come under attack, although they said the force would be able to defend itself.
Exercise Koalicja and the British contribution
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the exercise showed Britain, France and their allies were stepping up preparations for the day peace arrives in Ukraine. He said: “This is not a hypothetical plan, it’s a real force, ready to help Ukraine once the fighting stops.”
Lt Gen Tom Bateman, the UK commander of the Multi National Force – Ukraine (MNF-U), described the exercise as an important step in turning political commitments into credible military readiness. He said it demonstrated a capable, readily deployable force backed by serious commitment from Coalition of the Willing nations to Ukraine’s long-term stability and security.
Exercise Koalicja runs from 9 to 22 November. It will rehearse how to move, protect and supply a force inside Ukraine, and will test command and control so that troops from different countries can work together. Some 2,800 personnel will take part across land, sea and air, with the UK contributing 300 troops and a pair of RAF Typhoons.
Fighter jets will simulate how they could reassure commercial aircraft once Ukraine’s airspace reopens. Turkey has agreed to lead the maritime mission, which has the eventual aim of clearing mines and allowing trade to resume in the Black Sea. Troops will come from Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey, alongside the UK.
Unanswered questions on size and commitment
Western officials could not say what the final make-up and shape of a force would be if fighting stopped. Military experts have previously suggested that Western nations might need to send tens of thousands of troops to guarantee Ukraine’s security.
Officials acknowledged that individual countries’ contributions will depend on the circumstances of any cessation of hostilities and on each nation’s political decisions. It is also unclear what training role Western forces could play with Ukraine’s battle-hardened army.
Ukrainian soldiers are already in high demand for training Nato forces, sharing their expertise in drone warfare. Russia, however, has shown no sign of wanting to bring its war to an end.
