Coalition of 36 nations meets in Kyiv to coordinate air defence and missile production

Summit convenes on Independence Day

Thirty-six allied nations will gather on Monday at 13:00 in Kyiv for a hybrid meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, coinciding with the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's 1991 declaration of independence. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and European Council President António Costa will meet in person with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the capital. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will co-chair the session remotely alongside Burnham, with around ten official delegates attending on site in Kyiv. The coalition originated as a Franco-British initiative designed to assemble countries willing to deploy peacekeeping forces near the border in the event of a ceasefire. It now functions as a coordinating forum for European military support, addressing uncertainties regarding future United States commitments under President Donald Trump.

The French presidency outlined the diplomatic objectives of the gathering in an official statement.

This meeting, which will be held symbolically on the day of the 35th anniversary of the celebration of Ukraine's independence, will be an opportunity to reaffirm our resolute support for the Ukrainian people and their fight to preserve sovereignty and independence.

Defence priorities and missile sharing

Kyiv is asking allies for medium-range and long-range missiles alongside advanced air defence batteries to protect Ukrainian cities. Recent Russian ballistic barrages against Kyiv damaged residential buildings and forced tens of thousands of civilians into underground metro stations. Ukrainian officials noted that while long-range drone strikes have proven capable of hitting deep into Russia, they cannot substitute for ballistic interceptors and strike missiles. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will formalize the sharing of manufacturing secrets for Storm Shadow cruise missiles during his visit, enabling France and Ukraine to establish production lines closer to the front lines. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Saturday that France will deliver a new batch of interceptor missiles to Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that American deliveries of Patriot missiles fell by nearly half since 2023, with Ukraine receiving 364 Patriot missiles in 2025, while Russian factories now manufacture approximately 100 Iskander or Oreshnik intermediate-range missiles each month.

Burnham issued a statement before arriving in Kyiv outlining the coalition's stance toward Moscow.

Russia must have no doubt about our resolve. We will not yield until a just and lasting peace is established.

Retaliatory strikes and civilian casualties

The Kyiv meeting occurs as missile and drone strikes intensify on both sides of the front four and a half years after Russia's February 2022 invasion. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that July was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since May 2022, recording at least 437 civilian fatalities, an increase of 30% from June and 70% compared to July 2025. On Friday, a Russian drone strike on a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih killed at least 16 people, left three missing, and injured 130 others. Subsequent overnight strikes killed seven people across Ukraine, while Ukrainian strikes killed six people in Russia and annexed Crimea. On Monday morning, Ukrainian drones targeted four warehouses operated by Russian e-commerce company Ozon in southern Russia for the third consecutive day, following earlier strikes on Wildberries logistics hubs. Falling debris from the Krasnodar warehouse strike hit a youth shelter, killing two children and injuring seven others.