Poland to host Coalition of Willing drills with UK and France this fall
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Poland will host the first military drills of the Coalition of the Willing with British and French forces this fall, the defence ministry said. The exercise is designed to test command-and-control, logistics, and troop deployment for future security guarantees for Ukraine. The drills reflect Poland’s role as a logistics hub for the Multinational Force Ukraine.
Autumn Drills
The exercise will involve France and the United Kingdom as framework nations, with military-to-military discussions underway for additional coalition members to participate. A Polish ministry spokesperson said the drills are part of preparations for post-war reality, aiming to increase force interoperability. The Coalition of the Willing is an informal group led by London and Paris, established in 2025 to coordinate support for Kyiv.
East Shield Reinforcement
Poland is advancing the 10 billion zloty ($2.6 billion) East Shield project to fortify its 800 km border with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus. The system includes diversified defensive infrastructure—trenches, bunkers, and anti-tank obstacles—incorporating lessons from the war in Ukraine, particularly the surge in drone usage. Poland is also negotiating deployment of additional allied forces from the US, France, and UK under the initiative.
What's Next
The drills are scheduled for this fall, with no fixed date announced. It remains unclear how the coalition will transition from preparatory exercises to a fully operational post-war security force in Ukraine.
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Poland to host Coalition of Willing drills with UK and France this fall
