The United Kingdom and France convened the first formal meeting of Defence Ministers from the Ukraine “Coalition of the Willing” on Thursday, April 10, 2025, bringing together top military officials from around 30 countries to advance operational planning for long-term support to Ukraine, according to press release by the Government of UK.
The meeting, co-hosted by UK Defence Secretary John Healey and French Minister for the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, marked a pivotal step in coordinating multinational efforts to ensure Ukraine’s security and sovereignty amid ongoing Russian aggression.
Securing Lasting Peace
The focus of the meeting, held in Brussels, was to accelerate planning for a multinational reassurance force and to explore how the individual military capabilities of coalition nations can be effectively aligned to support Ukraine’s long-term defence needs.
“Peace must be won by power, not just hope,” said UK Defence Secretary Healey. “We cannot jeopardise peace by forgetting the war. That means intensifying our pressure on Putin and stepping up support to Ukraine—not only in today’s battle, but in the future push for peace.”
Healey recounted his recent visit to the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters, where military planners from the participating nations were already formulating strategic options. He emphasized the coalition’s shared responsibility to not only support Ukraine now, but to build a framework that deters future threats to European security.
Continued Coordination at High Levels
The high-level meeting follows last weekend’s trip to Kyiv by UK Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and French military leaders. They met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, and top Ukrainian commanders to discuss joint defence planning and evolving battlefield needs.
On Friday, April 11, Healey will also co-chair the 27th Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting alongside German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. That gathering will include nearly 50 countries and is expected to further galvanize international military aid to Ukraine.
Financial Commitments and Capabilities
The UK reaffirmed its robust commitment to Ukrainian defence. In 2025 alone, Britain has pledged £4.5 billion in military support—the highest annual total to date.
This includes multiple arms packages, such as:
• A £150 million package in February 2025 featuring drones, tanks, and air defence systems.
• A £225 million package in December 2024 including drones, boats, and ammunition.
• Delivery of 650 lightweight multirole missiles announced in September 2024.
In total, the UK has delivered around 400 different military capabilities to Ukraine since the war began.
This support aligns with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s four-point Ukraine strategy: increasing weapons delivery, building Ukraine’s long-term defensive strength, forming durable international security guarantees, and maintaining strategic pressure on Russia.
The UK is also scaling its own defence capabilities. A recent government announcement confirmed plans to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with a £5 billion boost for the current financial year.
Defence as an Economic Engine
Beyond security, the UK government highlights that military support to Ukraine is also spurring domestic growth. Last month, Sunak unveiled a £1.6 billion defence contract to supply Ukraine with over 5,000 air defence missiles, a move expected to generate 200 new jobs and support 700 more. In total, the UK defence sector supports over 434,000 skilled jobs.
Looking Ahead
With Russian missile and drone attacks continuing to pound Ukrainian infrastructure and cities, the message from Brussels was clear: international support for Ukraine remains firm and is evolving to meet long-term strategic goals.
As Defence Secretary Healey concluded, “Our united mission is not just to help Ukraine win today—but to help Ukraine secure peace and independence tomorrow.”
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