Europe's 'Coalition of the Willing' Falling Apart: Bulgaria Becomes First Nation to Leave

Bulgaria has become the first country to withdraw from the "Coalition of the Willing," the group of nations coordinating military support initiatives for Ukraine, while Italy has declined to participate in the coalition's upcoming military exercises. The developments highlight growing differences among European governments over the future direction of support for Kyiv.

Bulgaria Withdraws From the Coalition

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced his country's withdrawal following the coalition summit in Paris on July 13. He said the conflict in Ukraine cannot be resolved by prolonging military action and argued that determined diplomacy offers the only path toward ending the fighting.

Bulgaria becomes the first nation to leave the coalition, reducing its membership to 34 countries, including Ukraine.

Sofia joined the coalition in 2025 under the government of Rosen Zhelyazkov but made clear from the outset that it would not deploy troops to Ukraine. Instead, Bulgaria focused on areas such as Black Sea demining operations, logistical and infrastructure support, and signed a ten-year agreement with Kyiv in March 2026 covering the production of drones and other military equipment.

Since taking office as prime minister in April, Radev has repeatedly opposed expanding military and financial assistance to Ukraine, saying Bulgaria has exhausted its capacity to provide additional support.

Italy Declines to Join Coalition Military Exercises

French President Emmanuel Macron announced after the Paris summit that the coalition would hold its first joint military exercises in countries neighbouring Ukraine. He said the alliance had assembled international forces capable of rapid deployment if required.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that the first exercises will take place in Poland in September with the participation of French and British forces. Finnish President Alexander Stubb added that additional drills will follow in Turkey and Romania, involving around 1,500 military personnel.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, however, ruled out Italy's participation in the exercises. She said Rome remains willing to contribute to monitoring missions and military training conducted outside Ukraine but believes Kyiv's long-term security should rest on a collective defence mechanism comparable to NATO's Article 5.

European Allies Launch New Air and Missile Defence Initiative

Despite disagreements over troop deployments, Ukraine and nine European countries-Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom-agreed at the summit to establish a new air and missile defence coalition.

The initiative is intended to strengthen Ukraine's defensive capabilities by complementing existing air defence systems. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly identified improved missile defence as a strategic priority following sustained Russian strikes involving ballistic missiles launched from Iskander-M and S-400 systems.

Before the coalition formally announced the project, Ukrainian defence company Fire Point unveiled the FP-7.x interceptor missile, which is being developed for the Freyja air defence system. According to the company, the missile is designed to reach speeds of up to 2,000 metres per second, while the Freyja system is intended to integrate with other NATO-standard air defence networks.