Ukraine’s allies pledged on Aug. 24 to increase military support and make air defense an urgent priority, saying Russian threats would not deter them as leaders met in Kiev and by video link on the country’s Independence Day.
The Coalition of the Willing meeting was chaired by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Burnham was in Kiev on his first overseas trip since taking office, alongside several European leaders.
In a joint statement, the coalition condemned Russia’s escalating attacks on Ukrainian cities, infrastructure and civilians. Its members pledged to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, expand cooperation with its defense industry, share technology and increase sanctions on Russia’s military-industrial sector.
“Despite Russia’s outrageous threats to my country, we will continue our support for Ukraine’s defense,” Burnham said.
He told the meeting that negotiations should begin from the current line of contact and that Ukraine should not be expected to surrender territory Russia had failed to capture on the battlefield.
Macron warned that Moscow was likely to increase provocations against European and NATO countries to deter them from assisting Ukraine.
The European Union separately approved 6.1 billion euros ($7.1 billion) for air and missile defense systems, interceptors, ammunition and radars, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The funding is part of a 90 billion-euro loan for Ukraine, including 60 billion euros for military needs.
Zelensky said deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles had fallen sharply despite an increase in Russian ballistic attacks. Ukraine received 675 interceptors in 2023 and 364 in 2025, while 264 were projected for 2026, he said.
Kiev is seeking at least another 300 interceptors for the coming winter.
Britain also authorized defense firm MBDA to release classified information on British components used in the SCALP cruise missile, the French version of Britain’s Storm Shadow. The decision will allow France and Ukraine to proceed with plans to establish local assembly lines in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused London of obstructing peace efforts and said Russia would seek to identify and destroy facilities producing the missiles.
Burnham and Zelensky also signed an artificial intelligence partnership giving Britain access to Ukraine’s Avengers battlefield database. The platform uses millions of images gathered by cameras and infrared sensors to train military AI systems.
In return, British universities, researchers and technology companies will provide expertise to support the development of new systems.
The coalition also said it would continue preparations for a multinational force to support Ukraine once a credible ceasefire was in place.
