Coalition of the Willing Meets in Kyiv for 300 Interceptors
Western leaders met in Kyiv on Ukraine's Independence Day as officials requested 300 air defence interceptors and €30 billion in blocked EU funding amid U.S. stockpile constraints.
The third meeting of the Coalition of the Willing brought British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz together to co-chair discussions focused on air defence capabilities, security guarantees, and measures to counter Russia’s shadow fleet of sanction-evading oil tankers.
European Council President António Costa attended the gathering in person, while NATO deputy secretary general Radmila Šekerinska participated remotely alongside other leaders who joined by video link. Notably absent from the identified participants was any representative from the United States.
Ukraine Releases Classified Defence Figures
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed typically classified data on air defence supplies in the lead-up to the summit. Ukraine received 675 American Patriot interceptors in 2023 and 364 in 2025, he revealed, with only 264 projected for 2026 despite a request for at least 300 to protect the country through winter.
Zelensky also called on the European Parliament to pass legislation that would unlock €30 billion in EU funding, which he described as essential for defending Ukrainian territory.
Washington Managing Own Shortfalls
The United States has been conserving its missile stockpiles since launching its conflict with Iran and has resisted releasing large volumes to Kyiv. On August 17, Washington awarded defence contractor Raytheon a $22.9 billion (€19.8 billion) contract to increase cruise missile production as part of broader efforts to replenish inventories depleted by that war.
British and French Commitments
Burnham chose Kyiv for his first foreign trip since assuming office. Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, he stated before his arrival. His government authorized missile manufacturer MBDA to share classified information on British components of the SCALP missile system, the French variant of the Storm Shadow. France and Ukraine plan to establish assembly facilities for the weapon on Ukrainian soil.
Macron announced additional interceptor missiles on August 22 through a social media post. Nordic and Baltic leaders had gathered in Kyiv the day before to discuss air defence and winter energy security.
Coalition Formed Without American Leadership
France and the United Kingdom established the Coalition of the Willing in March 2025 to develop security guarantees for Ukraine following any future ceasefire. The group has since expanded to approximately 35 countries. The Élysée indicated that leaders would reaffirm their support for Kyiv and advance coordinated action against Russia’s use of shadow tankers to circumvent oil sanctions.
Peace negotiations remain stalled, with Moscow maintaining territorial and political demands that Kyiv has rejected. Zelensky estimated Russian ballistic missile production at roughly 100 units per month, a manufacturing capacity that Europe cannot currently match without American production lines.
With information from Brussels Signal
