LONDON (The Thursday Times) — Britain and France will lead about 2,800 troops from 12 European countries in Poland this month in a rehearsal of how a multinational force would deploy to Ukraine if there is a peace deal.
Exercise Koalicja runs from November 9 to 22 and will test how to move, protect and supply a force inside Ukraine, and whether troops from different countries can work under one command. Britain is sending 300 troops and two RAF Typhoon jets, which will practise reassuring commercial aircraft once Ukraine’s skies reopen.
“This is not a hypothetical plan, it’s a real force, ready to help Ukraine once the fighting stops,” UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said. Lt Gen Tom Bateman, the British commander of the Multinational Force Ukraine, called it a “real, capable, readily deployable force”.
Western officials say the force would not take part in offensive operations, peacekeeping or ceasefire monitoring, and would not be under Nato command or on the front line. Its job would be to reassure Ukraine and help rebuild its armed forces. They have declined to spell out the rules of engagement if its troops were attacked, saying only that it could defend itself.
The United States has been part of the discussions but is not contributing to the mission. Russia opposes foreign troops in Ukraine, and President Vladimir Putin said last year that they would be “legitimate targets”.
There is no peace deal in place. Russian bombs killed at least 26 people at a Ukrainian school used for aid in recent days, as fighting resumed after a truce.
