Starting in July, the United Kingdom and France will take over the leadership of the Headquarters of the Multinational Forces for Ukraine. The new structure will be created to coordinate the actions of allies in the long-term restoration of the Armed Forces of Ukraine after the conclusion of a peace agreement.
This was reported by the British Minister of Defense Dan Jarvis following a meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine. According to him, the command of the headquarters has been entrusted to Major General Tom Baitman.
Tasks of the new structure
Under the leadership of Major General Baitman, the United Kingdom, France, and their partners will begin planning and preparing the processes necessary for the restoration of the Ukrainian army. As Jarvis emphasized, this war goes beyond the interests of a single nation.
"Ukrainians are fighting not only for their own security but also for the security of Europe. They are also fighting for their values and for the values of Europe. We will support them today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes," the British minister stated.
Background and context
The idea of creating the headquarters originated earlier. Jarvis's predecessor as Minister of Defense, John Healy, had stated his intention to be the first head of the department to send British military personnel to Ukraine. During his tenure, a headquarters of 70 people was formed in London, which is already engaged in planning the deployment of Multinational Forces.
The legal basis for these plans was laid by the leaders of partner countries. In January 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a letter of intent on the deployment of these forces after the ceasefire.
Additional announcements from the meeting
During today's meeting in Ramstein, other key security issues were also discussed. President Zelenskyy announced plans to create a "European missile defense system." In turn, the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (mentioned in the context as Pistorius in the original text, likely a typo or specific context, but within the facts of the article, Pistorius's statement is mentioned) noted that "Putin has reached a dead end".