The Coalition of the Willing met on Monday, as Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day, to discuss further support for the country. Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden, among others, travelled to Kyiv for the occasion. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham made his first overseas trip since taking office to the war-torn country. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron joined via video link. State representatives from Moldova and Estonia, along with EU Council President António Costa, also made the journey to Kyiv.
The situation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his address, was currently a very difficult one for everyone involved. He called on his allies to give Ukraine everything it needed in order to bring the war to an end. Russia has been attacking Ukraine on an almost daily basis with drones and missiles since the start of the war in February 2022. Last month was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since May 2022, according to the United Nations.
A visit to the cemetery in Kyiv had been hugely moving and emotional, the Luxembourg prime minister said from the Ukrainian capital. Seeing at the cemetery just how many young soldiers had died fighting for what he called "our freedom" brought home the point that freedom and sovereignty can never be taken for granted.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who together with French President Emmanuel Macron lead the Coalition of the Willing, have both pledged further support for Ukraine.
Further sanctions against Russia are set to be discussed at Monday's meeting, and security guarantees for Kyiv are also on the agenda, according to the Élysée Palace.
Frieden also assured Ukraine that Luxembourg stood by its side. Borders, he said, could not be changed by force. What the Russians were doing in Ukraine, he added, was what the Nazis had tried to do in Luxembourg in 1940, and if the Ukrainians did not win, the same could happen elsewhere. On that basis, he had thanked the Ukrainians for their commitment and for their convictions in fighting for freedom and justice.
Chancellor Merz also pledged his support. Germany, he said, stood firmly by Ukraine's side, in a video posted on X. Ukrainians, in his words, had been defending their country's independence against Russia's brutal war of aggression with impressive courage for years, and were in doing so showing the whole world what it means to stand up for freedom and for a just peace.
The EU has released a further €6.1 billion from its €90 billion fund for Ukraine. According to the European Commission, the money will be used for air defence systems, missiles, ammunition, and radar systems.
"On Ukraine's Independence Day, we are showing our full support", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The €90 billion loan for Kyiv includes €60 billion in military aid. Before the latest €6.1 billion tranche was announced, €16 billion had already been approved, of which €8.5 billion has already been paid out.
The European Commission said Ukraine's defences urgently needed to be strengthened in light of the 376 Russian missile attacks recorded in July alone.
British PM Andy Burnham was expected on Monday to announce his government's approval for European defence company MBDA to share classified information on British components used in Storm Shadow missiles. The cruise missiles are known as SCALP in France.
The decision "will allow the French and Ukrainians to move forward with the assembly of these missiles in Ukraine", according to the British government.
Moscow condemned the move. Britain was "systematically and regularly pouring oil on the fire" and "systematically and regularly plotting to prevent even the slightest progress in the peace process", Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. Russia would target production sites in Ukraine and "destroy" them, he added.
Burnham appeared undeterred by the threats from Moscow during his visit to Kyiv.
"Despite Russia's serious threats against my country, we will continue our support for Ukraine's defence", the British PM said.
