Ukraine's allies gather in Paris as Kremlin dismisses 'coalition of warmongers'

At least 25 heads of state are attending the gathering, held on the eve of Bastille Day, France's national holiday. Zelensky and other leaders will stay on for Tuesday's military parade on the Champs-Élysées in central Paris, which the Élysée said would highlight support for Ukraine.

The summit comes at a "powerful moment of renewed transatlantic convergence and unity", but also of "more favourable developments on the ground" for Kyiv, the Élysée added.

Ukraine's supporters
Monday's meeting will "build further on this momentum... to demonstrate that Ukraine's supporters remain firmly committed to standing alongside the Ukrainian people, that there is absolutely no sign of fatigue, and that Russia cannot count on any such fatigue setting in", an adviser to President Emmanuel Macron said.

US President Donald Trump, who has sought to maintain relations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin while periodically criticising both Moscow and Kyiv, signalled his intention to offer greater support to Ukraine at the June G7 summit in France and last week's NATO meeting in Turkey.

Washington last week also advanced bipartisan legislation targeting countries that buy Russian energy, potentially clearing the way for stronger pressure on Moscow.

Ukraine marks four years of conflict, as losses rise with no end in sight

The coalition's leaders are set to focus on cooperation with Ukraine on air and missile defence, including the licensed production of weapons in the country. The Multinational Force for Ukraine - the British- and French-led force that would deploy once the fighting has ended -  is to be officially declared ready at the summit, officials in Paris said, and future joint military exercises are to be scheduled, according to Mr Macron.

Coalition of the Willing
The "Coalition" was launched by London and Paris in February 2025, days after a confrontation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his American counterpart Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the White House. Since then, the coalition has since met more than fifteen times.

On 6 January, in the presence of American envoys, it adopted the Paris Declaration setting out security guarantees to protect Ukraine from new Russian attacks and to monitor an eventual ceasefire, while France, Britain and Ukraine signed a declaration of intent on deploying multinational forces.

Washington, which has ruled out sending American ground troops, is not formally a member but would be involved in monitoring a ceasefire.

France, Britain and Spain have said they are ready to send troops — something Moscow has warned against, saying any foreign forces would be "legitimate targets."

Reacting to Monday's summit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the group "a coalition of warmongers" intent on continuing the war, adding: "We will be watching very closely."

A ceasefire nonetheless remains a distant prospect. Ukraine's air defences have been strained by repeated Russian ballistic missile strikes, and although Washington this month authorised Kyiv to build US-designed Patriot systems, production may be months away. In a statement on 11 July, Zelensky has repeated his plea for more military aid as the invasion grinds on well into its fifth year.

(With newswires)