Europe is stepping up preparations for Ukraine’s post-war security, with 2,800 troops from 11 countries set to take part in a major military exercise in Poland to rehearse a potential deployment aimed at deterring future Russian aggression.
The exercise, named KOALICJA 26.2, will be held from November 9 to 22 under the joint leadership of Britain and France, according to a report by Defense News. Troops from 11 countries will participate in the drills, which are designed to test how a multinational force could operate in support of Ukraine after a ceasefire. At a January 6 meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron, Then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Zelenskyy backed a framework for security guarantees that would include a multinational force, continued military assistance and commitments to respond to any future Russian attack.
In an interview, Zelenskyy said he wanted the arrangements to be clearly defined in writing. Who will do what, with what means, and when?” he said, according to the Associated Press. Macron said the guarantees were essential to ensure that a peace agreement did not become “a new threat to Ukraine”.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stressed that any peace agreement must be backed by clear commitments from western allies on how they would respond if Moscow resumes its military offensive. “If Russia starts (attacking) again, what will happen?
In September 2026, Putin warned that deploying European military contingents, including peacekeeping forces, would risk triggering a direct confrontation with Russia. Following the January 2026 meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris, Russia’s foreign ministry warned that Western military units and infrastructure deployed in Ukraine would be treated as legitimate combat targets of the Russian armed forces.
“This would mean war with Russia,” he said, according to a report by The Washington Post. The proposed multinational deployment has faced strong opposition from Moscow, with Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly warning European countries against sending troops to Ukraine, even under a post-war security arrangement. Moscow has maintained that the presence of foreign military contingents in Ukraine would pose a threat to Russian security.