On Friday, 24 October, London will host the next in a series of meetings of the Coalition of the Willing - a group of states coordinating military and security assistance to Ukraine in response to the Russian invasion. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the date and format of the meeting during a press conference on the sidelines of the MED9 summit in Slovenia, Reuters reported.

According to Macron, this will be a hybrid meeting - i.e. a combination of personal presence and virtual participation - aimed at further specifying the states' contributions to Kiev's defence capabilities and setting up long-term security mechanisms. As he added Reutersaimed not only to strengthen Ukraine's defences but also to create a deterrent framework against Russia in case of future aggressions.

One of the most important points is the expected personal participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to diplomatic sources, the direct talks with member states should allow for a more precise definition of Kiev's priorities - especially in the areas of air defence, ammunition supply and energy stability ahead of the winter season. As she said BBC, Zelensky is also due to hold several bilateral meetings in London, including with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The Coalition of the Willing, initiated by France and the UK at the beginning of 2025, brings together more than 20 European and overseas partners. According to Reuters Since its inception, the company has been coordinating mainly the supply of weapons and training of Ukrainian troops, but now it also focuses on the reconstruction of critical infrastructure and securing long-term financing for defence projects.

For London and Paris, the upcoming meeting is an important opportunity to show unity among the allies despite war fatigue and mounting budgetary pressures. British Prime Minister Starmer has announced that the UK plans to increase its commitments to Ukraine and will present a plan to supply additional short-range air defence systems at the summit. The information was reported by The Guardian.

From Kiev it is said that Ukraine expects concrete steps, not just political statements. "This is the moment when it will become clear who is really standing by Ukraine," Zelensky said in a recent speech. According to the diplomats. Politico EU suggest that there could also be discussions about expanding the coalition to include other countries outside Europe - for example, Canada, Japan or South Korea.

Trump and Putin in Budapest

While London is set to discuss stepping up support for Ukraine, a different, high-profile meeting is set to take place in Budapest: according to confirmed information from both the Kremlin and Washington, reported by Reuters, former US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet in the coming weeks. The meeting is to be hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is styling himself as a neutral mediator.

Podle Reuters Budapest was chosen as a "neutral ground" between East and West. The Russian side says it is to continue diplomatic contacts that could open the way for peace talks on Ukraine. However, the United States stresses that it will be an informal summit without an official mandate. European states are reacting with caution - especially because Putin is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant and his possible visit to an EU member state could trigger a diplomatic crisis.

Podle Bloombergu Hungary is considering a special legal framework that would allow Putin to enter the territory without violating international obligations. Orbán has made no secret of his ambition to present Budapest as a bridge between East and West, and in recent weeks he has tried to act as a mediator between Moscow and Washington.

The planned summit in Budapest would, according to Financial Times could have profoundly influenced the further development of the war and international diplomacy. If it actually happens, the Hungarian capital will become for a time a new geopolitical centre - and perhaps even the place where the next chapter of negotiations on Ukraine's future will begin to be written.

gnews.cz - GH