European Leaders Gather in Kyiv as Ukraine Seeks More Air Defense

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's push to bolster international support and receive additional air defenses continues on August 24 as the so-called Coalition of the Willing meets to discuss ways to pressure Russia to halt its invasion months ahead of another likely brutal winter. The summit -- with some leaders attending in person in Kyiv and others joining by video conference -- will be held on the day Ukraine is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union, and comes a day after a grouping of Baltic and Nordic nations gathered in the Ukrainian capital in a show of support for Ukraine.

The Coalition of the Willing, led by London and Paris, is an informal grouping of some 34 countries supporting Ukraine. No US representative was identified as a participant in the upcoming meeting. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham's office said the new UK leader will arrive in Kyiv on August 24, his first international visit since taking office a month ago, "to reiterate the UK’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine." The statement said Britain had "agreed that defense firm MBDA can release classified information on UK components for the long-range missile, SCALP, to establish local assembly lines in Ukraine." Ahead of the event, Zelenskyy stressed the urgency of securing European funding for Ukraine's defense -- especially against Russia's deadly ballistic missiles -- calling on the European Parliament to approve the legislation needed to unlock the money.

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