Focusing on Deploying Troops in Ukraine, the "Volunteer Alliance" Will Hold Its First Exercise

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 3 - The defense ministries of the United Kingdom and France issued a joint statement on the 3rd, announcing that a multinational force under the "Volunteer Alliance" will soon conduct its first exercise, with approximately 2,800 soldiers from 11 countries participating, preparing to deploy troops in Ukraine following a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.

The Russian side has commented that such forces will not bring peace.

Deployment of Exercise Forces

This exercise, codenamed "Alliance" in Polish, will take place from November 9 to 22. The land and air exercises will primarily be held in the vicinity of the town of New Dęba in southeastern Poland, about 100 kilometers from Ukraine.

The joint statement noted that the 11 participating countries are Belgium, Estonia, Germany, France, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Turkey. France and the UK will send 1,100 and 300 personnel, respectively.

The Royal Air Force will deploy Typhoon fighter jets and Voyager refueling aircraft to practice ensuring the safety of Ukrainian commercial aviation.

Meanwhile, Turkey will lead maritime exercises to test preparations for mine-clearing operations in the Black Sea. According to AFP, the Turkish military will not participate in the land exercises in Poland.

The joint statement said the exercises will test the speed and efficiency of the multinational force in deploying troops to Ukraine after hostilities between Russia and Ukraine cease.

The French commander of the exercise, Amel Diru, stated that the exercise aims to overcome various potential logistical and cultural issues between the armies of different countries. The British commander, Tom Bateman, mentioned that the testing will include coordinating command and control, the deployment of personnel, equipment, and logistics, as well as assessing whether the force can effectively integrate and operate.

UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said, "This is not a hypothetical plan, but a real force, ready to assist Ukraine as soon as hostilities cease."

The "Volunteer Alliance," led by the UK and France, is a coalition of nations committed to strengthening support for Ukraine, with the United States not being a member. Its multinational force was established in 2025 and has an operational headquarters in Paris, the capital of France.

Claiming "not to flex muscles"

AFP reported that this exercise is expected to only involve light equipment for counter-drone and self-defense exercises, with no heavy weapons or tanks being deployed.

Diru stated, "This is not a display of force. We will not show our muscles."

The joint statement indicated that this force would only enter Ukraine if hostilities cease and at the request of the Ukrainian government.

British Major General Bateman, who co-commanded the exercise, emphasized that this multinational force is not responsible for "maintaining peace or supervising a ceasefire." "It is not designed for offensive operations; its purpose is to support the rebuilding of the Ukrainian armed forces, enhance its deterrence, and, if necessary, defend against Russia…," he said.

AFP reported that the scope and duration of this exercise could potentially anger Russia.

In January of this year, Alexei Polischuk, head of the second department for CIS affairs at the Russian Foreign Ministry, commented on the written commitments from the UK and France to station troops in Ukraine during an interview with Sputnik: "Such 'forces' will not bring peace and cannot guarantee security. On the contrary, they will undermine peace efforts and pose a direct threat to Russia and European security." (Hu Ruoyu)