On October 24, 2025, the imposing halls of London played host to a gathering that could shape the next chapter of the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the city for a high-stakes summit of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing," a group of more than 20 Western leaders determined to ramp up pressure on Russia and bolster Ukraine’s defenses as the war grinds into its fourth winter. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the summit’s host, set the tone with a clear and urgent message: the time had come for Europe and its allies to "step up the gifting of long-range capabilities" to Ukraine.
The stakes of the meeting were underscored by the recent events on the battlefield and in diplomatic corridors. According to BBC, Ukraine had just carried out a successful strike on a chemical plant in Bryansk, Russia, using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles—a sign, Starmer argued, that additional long-range weaponry could turn the tide. Yet, as Zelensky arrived in London, it was fresh from a disappointing visit to Washington, where his repeated pleas for U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles were rebuffed. The White House, despite pressure from Kyiv, had not committed to supplying the coveted long-range weapons.
Starmer’s call for more support was echoed by the presence of key figures at the summit. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and the Netherlands’ Dick Schoof attended in person, while French President Emmanuel Macron and a further 20 leaders joined remotely. The show of unity was more than symbolic. As Digital Journal reported, the United Kingdom announced the acceleration of a program to manufacture over 5,000 air defense missiles, with 140 lightweight multirole missiles slated for delivery to Ukraine this winter. These missiles, part of a £1.6 billion deal struck in March 2025, are being built in Belfast—a detail not lost on Starmer, who emphasized the importance of timely delivery.
"The only person involved in this conflict who does not want to stop the war is President [Vladimir] Putin, and his depraved strikes on young children in a nursery this week make that crystal clear," Starmer said, referencing the recent Russian attacks on Kharkiv that killed at least seven people, including two children. "Time and again we offer Putin the chance to end his needless invasion, to stop the killing and recall his troops, but he repeatedly rejects those proposals and any chance of peace." (BBC)
The summit’s agenda extended beyond military hardware. Leaders discussed ways to squeeze Russia’s war economy, including new rounds of sanctions. The United States had just announced biting measures against Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, in an effort to choke off funding for the Kremlin’s war machine. Meanwhile, the European Union unveiled a complete ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports by the end of 2026, further tightening the economic noose.
Yet, when it came to using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine’s war effort, consensus proved elusive. The EU had frozen about €200 billion of Russian central bank assets after Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. At a summit in Brussels the day before, Zelensky had urged European leaders to back a new loan for Ukraine using €140 billion of these immobilized assets. As RTÉ and Digital Journal explained, the plan ran into resistance from Belgium, which hosts the Euroclear depository holding the bulk of the assets. Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever demanded iron-clad guarantees that his country would not be left holding the bag if Russia successfully counterclaimed. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde tried to reassure leaders that the risks were manageable, but Belgium remained unconvinced.
As a result, EU leaders stopped short of formally endorsing the "reparations loan." Instead, they issued a broadly worded commitment to support Ukraine’s financial and military needs for the next two years and tasked the European Commission with exploring options for future funding. European Council President Antonio Costa was blunt: "Russia should take good note of this: Ukraine will have the financial resources it needs to defend itself."
For Zelensky, the outcome was bittersweet. While he welcomed the EU’s "political support" for using Russian assets, the lack of a firm financial commitment left Ukraine’s long-term funding uncertain. As Inquirer summarized, the EU’s next summit in December would revisit the issue, leaving Kyiv in a holding pattern for now.
Throughout the day, the need for more long-range weaponry remained the dominant theme. While the UK and France have supplied Storm Shadow and Scalp missiles, and Ukraine has produced its own Flamingo and Neptune missiles, Kyiv’s wish list includes the German Taurus missile. Berlin, however, has thus far balked at sending the Taurus, citing concerns that it could further escalate tensions with Russia.
Despite these hurdles, the summit marked a clear shift in tone. Starmer, backed by other Western leaders, called for allies to "finish the job on Russian sovereign assets to unlock billions of pounds to fund Ukraine’s defences." He also pledged to consult with partners on ways to take Russian oil and gas off the global market—a move that, if realized, could deliver a major blow to Moscow’s finances.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin joined the meeting remotely, signaling his country’s willingness to contribute to peacekeeping efforts should a peace agreement be reached. As he put it, Ireland stands ready to play its part if and when the guns fall silent.
For all the talk of missiles and sanctions, the human toll of the war remained front and center. Starmer’s condemnation of the nursery bombing in Kharkiv served as a stark reminder of what’s at stake. As the war enters yet another winter, with Russia still occupying about 20% of Ukrainian territory, the coalition’s resolve will be tested anew.
As leaders wrapped up their discussions in London, one thing was clear: the West is not yet ready to let up the pressure on Moscow, nor to leave Ukraine standing alone. The coming months will reveal whether this renewed unity—and the promised missiles—can help Kyiv change the course of a war that has already exacted a heavy price.
