Coalition of the Willing military exercises begin in Poland to prepare support for postwar Ukraine
France and the UK are jointly leading the exercises, which also involve nine other countries.
On November 7, 2026, over 2,800 soldiers from 11 countries initiated military exercises in Poland, marking the first organized effort by the Coalition of the Willing. The primary objective of these manoeuvres, dubbed "Koalicja" (meaning "Coalition" in Polish), is to prepare for supporting post-war Ukraine. The joint effort, coordinated by France and the United Kingdom, is set to last until November 22, 2026, and includes land, air, and sea operations.
The Multinational Force-Ukraine (MNF-U), representing the coalition, is leading the exercises on Polish soil. British Lieutenant-General Tom Bateman stated that the Koalicja exercise aims to demonstrate the readiness of the coalition nations to support Ukraine's long-term stability and security. France's Ministry of Defence emphasized that the aim is to ensure MNF-U is ready to deploy at the request of the Ukrainian government, helping to "guarantee a robust and lasting peace in Ukraine."
The participating nations include Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey. Poland's defence ministry highlighted that the exercise demonstrates the quick mobilization and establishment of forces that would support Ukraine after the war's end. However, Poland clarified that it would not send its own soldiers to Ukrainian territory but would instead offer logistical support.
France plans to send instructors to help Ukraine rebuild and strengthen its armed forces, while air missions will enable civilian aircraft to resume flights within Ukrainian airspace. At sea, MNF-U forces could assist in clearing mines from shipping routes in the Black Sea. The maritime component of the exercises is being led by Turkey through a simulated operational exercise, without deploying troops to Poland.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the exercises, stating that they demonstrate Western countries ignoring Russia's "legitimate security concerns" and contributing to the escalation spiral. She warned that any foreign armed forces in Ukraine would be regarded as legitimate targets by Russia's armed forces.
Despite the ongoing exercises, France, the UK, and Poland have emphasized that MNF-U forces would only be deployed following the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and would not engage in peacekeeping or ceasefire-monitoring duties.
Written by urgent.news from Notes from Poland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
