The first major exercise run by the Multinational Force-Ukraine (MNF-U), Exercise ‘Koalicja’, is about to start in Poland. It is designed to secure Ukraine’s long-term stability and security should a truce in the Ukraine war finally materialise.
UK and French forces are about to lead Exercise ‘Koalicja’, the first major exercise run by the Multinational Force-Ukraine (MNF-U), to rehearse how to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine following any meaningful end to the conflict there.
To be held in Poland from 9 to 22 November 2026, the exercise will involve 2,800 personnel from the forces of the UK and France plus nine other nations: Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Türkiye.
MNF-U is the military arm of the Coalition of the Willing: a group of 34 countries (plus Ukraine) that have pledged strengthened military, economic and diplomatic support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
In the event of peace, the MNF-U will help underpin Ukraine’s future security by enabling safer Ukrainian skies and seas and regenerating Ukrainian forces. However, it would only move into Ukraine once fighting had ceased and at the request of the Ukrainian government. The force would not carry out peacekeeping or ceasefire-monitoring duties.
The UK jointly leads the MNF-U with France, with the force’s headquarters set to move from Paris to London this year. The MNF-U is currently commanded by British Army three-star general Lieutenant General Tom Bateman.
Exercise ‘Koalicja’ will involve testing command-and-control arrangements for the force, rehearsing the movement of personnel, equipment and supplies and assessing how different components can integrate and operate effectively as one multinational force.
As well as the exercise’s land and air components, Turkish forces will stand up the MNF-U’s maritime element in Istanbul, testing arrangements for maritime mine clearance to allow commercial shipping to safely return to Ukraine’s ports.
Around 300 UK personnel are among the 2,800 troops taking part in Exercise ‘Koalicja’. Soldiers from the British Army’s 7 Brigade (the ‘Desert Rats’) will rehearse crucial logistical movements, while Royal Air Force Typhoons and a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft will fly sorties overhead. The jets will simulate how they would reassure commercial air travel once Ukraine’s skies reopen.
In a 3 November press release the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) quoted UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting as stating, “This exercise shows the UK is stepping up, alongside France and our allies, to prepare for the day peace comes to Ukraine. This isn’t a hypothetical plan; it’s a real force, ready to help Ukraine once the fighting stops.
“By leading this work with our allies, we are protecting the UK and Europe for the long term and delivering on our commitment to keep the country safe,” Streeting added. “Ukraine’s security is our security, and we will stand with them for as long as it takes.”
As the commander of MNF-U Lt Gen Bateman was quoted as stating, “This exercise will show that the Multinational Force-Ukraine is a real, capable, readily deployable force that represents a serious commitment from Coalition of the Willing nations to Ukraine’s long-term stability and security.
“The MNF-U will be more ready every day to support Ukraine when the fighting ends, ensuring the Armed Forces of Ukraine are in the strongest possible position to deter future aggression.”
Meanwhile, international observers are wondering what, if any, effect the strong Democratic gains in the 3 November US Mid-Term Elections will have on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his conduct of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
At the very least there might be a check on US President Donald Trump’s acquiescence to Putin, including his decision to pause sanctions against Russia to alleviate US fuel prices that spiked following the US war against Iran initiated in February 2026. At various times Trump has also curtailed US military and financial support for Ukraine and incongruously claimed that the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was the main obstacle to peace.
Up until now the Trump Administration’s peace plans for Ukraine have been nothing but an anathema to Kyiv, requiring the surrendering of Ukrainian soil in a settlement that would effectively reward Putin’s invasion.
While even as a ‘lame duck’ US president in his final two years Trump will still wield considerable power, Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate should at least check further concessions to Moscow, yet at the same time Russia is less likely to meaningfully engage with a Democrat-controlled US Congress that is firmly on Ukraine’s side.
