Phoenix 24
Europe frames defense unity as strategic awakening.
PARIS, FRANCE — July 2026. France will host at least 25 heads of state and government in Paris for a new meeting of the Coalition of Volunteers, the support format created around Ukraine and co-led with the United Kingdom. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend, along with leaders from European institutions and NATO. The meeting comes on the eve of France’s July 14 national military parade.
The coalition now brings together 37 countries and will include Moldova and North Macedonia as new participants. The meeting is designed to reinforce Western unity and signal that Russia cannot count on fatigue among Ukraine’s allies. French officials describe the sequence as part of a broader “European strategic awakening.”
The discussions will focus heavily on air defense and missile protection for Ukraine. Leaders are expected to examine closer cooperation on Patriot missile production under license in Ukraine, following authorization from Washington. They will also discuss a complementary anti-ballistic system based on European capabilities and Ukrainian battlefield experience.
France says security-guarantee plans for Ukraine are ready in principle in the event of a future ceasefire, although they remain adaptable because an end to hostilities is still distant. These guarantees could include a multinational force deployed away from the contact line, legally binding bilateral agreements and United States involvement in monitoring a ceasefire.
The July 14 parade will be staged in an expanded format, with about 6,800 military personnel, a historic record for the event. A total of 503 troops from Coalition of Volunteers countries will open the parade before around 30 heads of state and government. Ukrainian soldiers and pilots trained in France will also take part.
Paris wants the message to be unmistakable: Europe is preparing to defend Ukraine and itself with greater unity.