Rutte, Zelenskiy to attend Ukraine 'Coalition of the Willing' meeting, Elysee says
Main Developments from the Upcoming Coalition Meeting
Key Attendees and Purpose
PARIS, July 10 (Reuters) - NATO chief Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will join Monday's "Coalition of the Willing" meeting in Paris to support Ukraine, the French presidency said on Friday.
Building on NATO Summit Momentum
• The meeting will be aimed at building on momentum to help Ukraine following the NATO summit in Turkey this week. The Elysee said that planning was still underway for security guarantees for when a ceasefire is reached between Ukraine and Russia.
France's Role and New Defence Initiatives
• France's President Emmanuel Macron said in Ankara he would use the summit of Ukraine's allies to unveil new defence initiatives and joint military exercises, presenting the gathering as further evidence that Europe was assuming greater responsibility for its own security.
Meeting Focus Areas
Tackling Russia's Shadow Fleet and Military Capabilities
• The July 13 meeting will also focus on tackling Russia's shadow fleet, new military capabilities for Ukraine, greater mobilisation of defence industries and deeper operational cooperation among Kyiv's backers, Macron said in Ankara.
International Support and New Coalition Members
U.S. and European Leaders' Involvement
• U.S. President Donald Trump has shown a more favorable stance toward Kyiv in its battle against Russia at recent G7 and NATO summits.
• Two more countries, Moldova and North Macedonia, have joined the coalition, the Elysee said. EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa are also set to attend Monday's meeting, the French presidency said.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Richard Lough)
