Led by France and the United Kingdom, the “Koalicja” exercise will bring together from November 9 to 22 some 2,800 soldiers from ten countries in Poland, around a hundred kilometers from the Ukrainian border, to test the capacity of the Multinational Force for Ukraine to deploy as soon as hostilities end. Paris and London assure that this force, distinct from NATO, has no offensive vocation.

Published on: 03/11/2026 - 02:18Modified on: 03/11/2026 - 02:21

United within the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNF-U), kyiv's allies led by France and the United Kingdom will conduct a full-scale exercise in Poland intended to test their ability to deploy and operate together on the ground.

Some 2,800 soldiers from ten countries - Germany, Belgium, Spain, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom, Sweden - will participate from November 9 to 22 in Poland in this exercise called "Koalicja", coalition in Polish, announced London and Paris on Tuesday November 3.

Turkey, at the head of the maritime component of the coalition to be deployed once hostilities between Russia and Ukraine have ended, will conduct a simulation exercise to secure the Black Sea, according to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.

The soldiers - including 1,100 French and 300 British - will be deployed in the town of Nowa Dęba, an important military training center located in the south-east of Poland, around a hundred kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Discussions stopped

The Multinational Force for Ukraine, created in March 2025, is intended to deploy quickly as soon as a ceasefire is signed to help Ukraine deter any new Russian aggression in the future. It must also contribute to the country's economic recovery by securing the Black Sea for Ukrainian agricultural exports and the reopening of airspace.

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For now, discussions to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since the Second World War have been at a standstill since February.

“A just and lasting peace must be based on Ukraine's ability to defend its sovereignty, as well as credible security guarantees that contribute to its long-term security,” British General Tom Bateman, commander of MNF-U, told reporters in London.

Koalicja is "a key step because it will be the concrete demonstration of the capacity of the MNF-U to be projected as soon as hostilities are over", estimated from Paris his French counterpart French General Armel Dirou, who will co-direct the exercise. “This gives credibility to the coalition of the willing,” he added.

The MNF-U is not a NATO force

In Paris, as in London, it is emphasized that the MNF-U is not a NATO force and that its hypothetical future deployment, far from the dividing line between Ukraine and Russia, just like Koalicja, is not a combat mission, a show of force or a peacekeeping operation.

“The reason we are doing this work right now is purely practical,” General Bateman said. "If progress is being made toward peace, we must be prepared to act. The planning, coordination and preparation needed to deploy a multinational force cannot begin once hostilities have ended."

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The Koalicja exercise should therefore make it possible to test in real conditions plans, logistical routing, transmissions and the compatibility of computer command systems outside the structures of the Atlantic Alliance. Paris and London say they are ready to ward off possible informational or even hybrid attacks from a Russia quick to accuse the West of warmongering.

Paris HQ in London

To convince that Koalicja has no offensive vocation, only light equipment - and no armored vehicles - are sent for the exercise, mainly for the purpose of protecting the deployed soldiers. The French Army will deploy a “contact drone” unit of around fifty devices with a range of a few kilometers, according to its chief of staff, General Jacques de Montgros. Anti-drone means will also be deployed.

“It is clear that we will protect our forces against any aggression and that the principles of self-defense will apply,” argue Western officials, insisting that the rules of engagement are “defensive in nature”.

In total, 24 of the 36 member countries of the Coalition of the Willing have committed to participating in the air, maritime or land component of the MNF-U. Poland, which hosts Koalicja, and Germany have already indicated that they will not deploy ground troops in Ukraine.

In accordance with the principle of alternation between France and the United Kingdom, the headquarters of this multinational force will be transferred from Paris to London by the end of 2026, where the MNF-U will continue its planning and exercise program.

With AFP

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