Germany to skip first Coalition of Willing military drills for Ukraine

Germany will not participate in the first military exercise of the Coalition of the Willing, a group of around 35 countries supporting Ukraine against Russia, government sources in Berlin told dpa on July 14.

According to the sources, the initial "small-scale command-post exercise" will take place without German participation. The drills, agreed during a meeting in Paris on Monday, are set to be held in Poland and are intended to prepare the multinational force for a potential ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the exercise aims to prepare for "concrete security guarantees for Ukraine but also for the region," adding that France and the United Kingdom would be among the participating countries.

Command-post exercises focus on training military leadership in decision-making and troop movements, typically without deploying personnel or equipment in the field.

The multinational force under European leadership was agreed upon during a summit on Ukraine held in Berlin in December. French President Emmanuel Macron said on July 13 that the force was already operational.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, however, has not committed Berlin to participating in the force, saying only that the Coalition of the Willing was ready to play an "important role" in providing security guarantees for Ukraine after a ceasefire, in close cooperation with the United States.

"The federal government and the German Bundestag will also decide on the type and scope of Germany's contribution," Merz stressed.

By Sabina Mammadli