The "Coalition of the Willing" — an informal alliance of European states established in the spring of 2025 to support Kyiv and built around London and Paris — is moving from declarations to practical training for the first time. Exercises codenamed Koalicja are scheduled for November 9, 2026, in the Polish town of Nowa Dęba, with Ukraine reportedly taking part. This is the first publicly announced deployment of alliance forces in a region bordering Ukraine, and it sets the framework for discussing what the military presence of Western countries might look like after a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow.
What and Where Will Be Practiced
According to RBC-Ukraine and Censor, nearly 2,800 servicemen from ten countries are expected to concentrate near the Ukrainian border for this initial deployment. The exercises will run until November 22. At the same time, observers emphasize that this is not a show of force involving tanks and missiles: the main stated goal is to test the command system and logistical procedures related to the movement of troops and equipment across Europe. These functions — rather than combat maneuvers — are considered key to a future peacekeeping operation in Ukraine after the conflict ends.
The Role of the US and NATO
The United States is not participating in the Koalicja operation, and its role in future security guarantees for Ukraine remains largely undefined. NATO, in turn, has been informed of the exercises but is not directly involved in them. Thus, the maneuvers formally take place outside the framework of the North Atlantic Alliance and represent an independent initiative of the "coalition of the willing," which highlights its status as a separate political and military entity.
The Logistical Complexity of Border Crossings
As the French publication Le Monde notes, the deployment task is complicated by the need to cross numerous state borders within Europe. This is why the exercises focus on practicing the mechanisms for transferring personnel and material resources, coordinating transit, and managing cooperation between the armed forces of various countries. Essentially, Koalicja serves as a rehearsal for how an alliance of a dozen or more states could physically deliver its forces to Ukrainian territory in a short timeframe after a ceasefire.
Context: From Security Guarantees to Practice
The exercises in Poland fit into the broader process of forming security guarantees for Ukraine, which has been underway within the "coalition of the willing" since its inception. Previously, media reported on the number of peacekeepers the West might send to Ukraine after hostilities cease, and RBC-Ukraine indicated that European countries would begin practicing the ceasefire peacekeeping deployment scenario precisely in November. The first Koalicja exercises thus mark the initial practical stage of this process, with an emphasis on command, logistics, and intergovernmental coordination rather than combat deployment.
