Britain and France to lead exercise rehearsing deployment of a multinational force to Ukraine after any peace deal

Britain and France are to lead a military exercise testing whether a multinational force could deploy to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal. Nearly 3,000 military personnel from 12 European nations will take part in the rehearsal, which is being held in neighbouring Poland this month. Exercise Koalicja, running from 9 to 22 November, will rehearse how to move, protect and supply a force in Ukraine, and will test command and control arrangements to ensure troops from different countries can work together. Some 2,800 personnel will take part across land, sea and air, with the UK contributing 300 troops and a pair of RAF Typhoons. Plans for a reassurance force for Ukraine were set out last year as one of the long-term security guarantees proposed by European nations. But questions remain over how such a force would work in practice. Western officials stress that any troops sent to Ukraine would not take part in offensive operations, peacekeeping or ceasefire monitoring, and would operate neither under Nato command nor on the front line. Their presence, officials say, would be to reassure Ukraine and help rebuild its armed forces. The United States has been involved in discussions but is not contributing to the mission. Russia has already voiced opposition to foreign troops being stationed in Ukraine, and President Vladimir Putin said last year that they would be "legitimate targets". Western officials have declined to spell out the rules of engagement should international troops come under attack, though they say the force would be able to defend itself. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the exercise showed Britain, France and their allies were stepping up preparations for the day peace comes to Ukraine. "This is not a hypothetical plan, it's a real force, ready to help Ukraine once the fighting stops," he said. Lt Gen Tom Bateman, the UK commander of the Multi National Force – Ukraine, described the exercise as an important step in translating political commitments into credible military readiness. He called it a "real, capable, readily deployable force that represented a serious commitment from Coalition of the Willing nations to Ukraine's long-term stability and security". The air component will see fighter jets simulate how they would reassure commercial aircraft once Ukraine's skies can be reopened. Turkey has agreed to lead the maritime mission, with the eventual goal of clearing mines and allowing the resumption of trade in the Black Sea. As well as the UK, troops will come from France, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. Significant uncertainties remain. Western officials could not comment on the final make-up and shape of any force deployed to Ukraine once fighting stops. Military experts have previously suggested Western nations might need to send tens of thousands of troops to guarantee Ukraine's security, but officials acknowledge that commitments will depend on the circumstances of a cessation of hostilities and individual nations' political decisions. It is also unclear what training role Western forces could provide to a battle-hardened Ukrainian military, whose soldiers are already in high demand passing on their drone warfare expertise to Nato forces. Above all, Russia has shown no sign of wanting to end its war.