Coalition Of The Willing
The Coalition of the Willing met on Monday in Kyiv, as Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day, to discuss further support for the country. Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden travelled to Kyiv for the occasion.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham made his first overseas trip since taking office to the war-torn country. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron joined via video link. State representatives from Moldova and Estonia, along with EU Council President Antonio Costa, also made the journey to Kyiv.
The situation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his address, was currently a very difficult one for everyone involved. He called on his allies to give Ukraine everything it needed in order to bring the war to an end. Russia has been attacking Ukraine on an almost daily basis with drones and missiles since the start of the war in February 2022. Last month was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since May 2022, according to the United Nations.
A visit to the cemetery in Kyiv had been hugely moving and emotional, Frieden said from the Ukrainian capital. Seeing at the cemetery just how many young soldiers had died fighting for what he called "our freedom" brought home the point that freedom and sovereignty can never be taken for granted. Borders cannot be changed by force, the Luxembourg prime minister said.
Further sanctions against Russia are set to be discussed at the meeting, and security guarantees for Ukraine are also on the table.
British PM Andy Burnham was expected to announce his government's approval for European defence company MBDA to share classified information on British components used in Storm Shadow missiles. The cruise missiles are known as SCALP in France. The decision will allow the French and Ukrainians to move forward with the assembly of these missiles in Ukraine, according to the British government.
Moscow condemned the move. Britain was "systematically and regularly pouring oil on the fire" and "systematically and regularly plotting to prevent even the slightest progress in the peace process", Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. Russia would target production sites in Ukraine and "destroy" them, he added.
Burnham appeared undeterred by the threats from Moscow during his visit to Kyiv. "Despite Russia's serious threats against my country, we will continue our support for Ukraine's defence", the British PM said.