Macron: "Coalition of the willing" to patrol Ukraine's air and sea after ceasefire

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that a coalition of partner countries is preparing to patrol Ukraine’s airspace and maritime zones following a future ceasefire agreement with Russia, as part of broader efforts to rebuild and stabilise the country.

Speaking at a joint press conference in London with newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Macron outlined the scope of the initiative and its geopolitical significance, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"All the work done by our two heads of the Ministries of Defense is precisely to organize a coalition of 30 partner countries and patrol in the air and at sea to ensure the restoration of the Ukrainian army," Macron said.

According to the French leader, this joint mission will serve as a powerful message to Moscow. “This will send a strategic signal to Russia,” he emphasised.

The announcement followed a Franco-British summit in London and a virtual meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing,” where leaders discussed future support and military assistance for Kyiv.

Later in the day, the Office of the UK Prime Minister issued a statement confirming the establishment of a coordination centre in Kyiv to oversee coalition operations in the event of deployment. “It will be led by a two-star officer of the British Army,” Downing Street noted.

Following a previous coalition summit in Paris, Macron revealed that additional personnel may be stationed in Ukraine as part of a deterrence initiative.

“A number of representatives of the coalition are planning to be sent to Ukraine's ‘deterrence forces’, which will be deployed in strategic locations pre-determined with the Ukrainians,” Macron stated.

He acknowledged internal divisions among coalition members regarding the initiative but said consensus was not required to proceed. “Not everyone agrees with the initiative, but this is not necessary for its implementation,” he assured.

By Vugar Khalilov