Kyiv
The Coalition of the Willing met on Monday, 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, the Luxembourg prime minister said. 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.
German Chancellor Merz and British Prime Minister Burnham, who together with French President Macron lead the Coalition of the Willing, have both pledged further support for Ukraine. Further sanctions against Russia are set to be discussed, along with security guarantees.
The EU has released a further EUR6.1 billion from its EUR90 billion fund for Ukraine. The money will be used for air defence systems, missiles, ammunition, and radar systems. The EUR90 billion loan for Kyiv includes EUR60 billion in military aid. Before the latest tranche, EUR16 billion had already been approved, of which EUR8.5 billion has already been paid out. Ukraine's defences urgently needed to be strengthened in light of the 376 Russian missile attacks recorded in July alone.
British PM 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, allowing the French and Ukrainians to move forward with assembly of these missiles in Ukraine. Moscow condemned the move, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying Britain was "pouring oil on the fire" and threatening to target production sites in Ukraine and "destroy" them.
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.