Macron announces joint exercises of the ‘Coalition des volontaires’ ahead of meeting on July 13 in Paris

Ankara – 08.07.2026: On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, France’s President Emmanuel Macron announced that the so-called ‘Coalition des volontaires’ will meet again on July 13 in Paris. In the run-up, joint exercises by the participating partners are planned to coordinate contributions in support of Ukraine. Macron spoke after talks with allies and in brief remarks to journalists.

The ‘Coalition des volontaires’ is a group of states, established since 2025, that has pledged to support Ukraine politically and materially. According to the Élysée, the Paris consultations serve to politically confirm and synchronize technical arrangements already developed. Previous sessions have named, among other things, logistics, mine clearance, air patrols and training measures. Paris emphasizes that contributions must be “prepared, documented and confirmed” and politically anchored to ensure smooth operations between partners.

No concrete operational plans were named. French authorities and international agency reports so far refer to preparatory exercises and coordination measures, not to a joint combat deployment. A formal dispatch of armed units onto Ukrainian territory would be highly controversial under international law and diplomatically. Accordingly, the current focus is on command structures, communication channels and the interoperability of capabilities, for example in air surveillance, medical support and engineering tasks.

The summit in Ankara was generally marked by increased coordination between NATO allies and partners. Discussions covered defense investments, industrial cooperation and the longer-term planning of support measures. In this context, France points to a stronger integration of the European defense industry and to contributions that should deliver visible benefits for the Ukrainian armed forces without crossing the threshold into direct participation in the war.

Legally and politically, details remain open: which troop contingents will exercise where, under which legal framework and in what coordination with Kyiv will be decisive in minimizing escalation risks. The Élysée and the Ministry of Defence are expected to provide more precise information before the Paris meeting. Observers expect that pledges will be structured in modules—ranging from training to equipment to support services such as mine clearance and air situational awareness—to make them compatible for partner states with differing legal constraints.

Internationally, the announcement is being closely followed because it touches on questions of burden-sharing in Europe and the scope of Western security commitments to Ukraine. Whether the planned maneuvers go beyond symbolic signals is likely to become clear in the days leading up to July 13, when the participating governments publish their respective contributions.