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Britain and France will lead military exercises that will test the readiness of a multinational force to deploy to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.
Almost 3,000 troops from 12 European countries will take part in the exercise, which will take place this month in neighboring Poland.
Plans to create an international force to ensure Ukraine's security were presented last year as one of the long-term security guarantees offered by European states.
However, there are still many more questions than answers about how such forces will operate in practice. Western officials have stressed that any troops sent to Ukraine will not be involved in offensive operations, peacekeeping missions or ceasefire enforcement.
In addition, international forces will not operate under NATO command or be deployed on the front lines.
Their presence is intended to bolster Ukraine's confidence in its own security and help rebuild its military, officials said.
The US participated in discussions of these plans, but will not take part in the mission.
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Russia opposes the deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory. Last year, President Vladimir Putin said such troops would be “legitimate targets.”
Western officials refused to specify what the rules of use of force would be in the event of an attack on the international contingent in Ukraine. At the same time, they emphasize that military personnel will have the right to self-defense.
British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the upcoming exercises show Britain, France and their allies are stepping up preparations for the moment when peace comes to Ukraine.
“This is not a hypothetical plan, but real forces ready to help Ukraine as soon as the fighting stops,” he said.
Lieutenant General Tom Bateman, the British commander of the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNF-U), called the exercise an important step on the path from political commitment to real combat readiness.
According to him, we are talking about “real, combat-ready forces, ready for rapid deployment, the creation of which testifies to the serious commitment of the countries to the “coalition of the willing” to the long-term stability and security of Ukraine.”
The exercise, called Coalition (Koalicja), which will take place from November 9 to 22, will test how to organize the movement, protection and supply of international military forces in Ukraine. In addition, the military will work on command and control systems to ensure that units from different countries can operate effectively together.
About 2,800 military personnel will take part in the exercises on land, sea and air. The UK will send 300 troops and two Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters.
The fighters will practice actions to ensure the safety of civil aviation after Ukrainian airspace reopens for flights.
Türkiye agreed to lead the maritime part of the mission. Its ultimate goal is the demining of the Black Sea and the resumption of commercial shipping.
In addition to the UK, military personnel from France, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey will take part in the exercises.
However, Western officials cannot yet say what the final composition and structure of the international contingent that may be sent to Ukraine after the cessation of hostilities will be.
Previously, military experts suggested that to ensure the security of Ukraine, Western countries may have to send tens of thousands of troops there.
Officials acknowledge that the willingness of individual states to participate in the mission and the extent of their participation will depend on the circumstances of the cessation of hostilities and political decisions made in each country.
It also remains unclear what role the Western military will be able to play in training the Ukrainian army, which already has vast combat experience.
Ukrainian military personnel themselves are today in great demand as instructors for NATO troops, to whom they share their experience in combat operations using drones.
But the main obstacle is that Russia has not yet shown any signs of readiness to end the war.
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