Senior British Officer Leads Voluntary Coalition for Ukraine

Moscow (ANTARA) - A senior officer from the British Army, Lieutenant General Thomas Julian Bateman, has been appointed to replace his French counterpart as commander of the Voluntary Coalition for Ukraine contingent.

“A senior British officer today has taken command of the multinational force that will be deployed to Ukraine once the fighting has ended. At a ceremony in Paris today, Friday, Lieutenant General Tom Bateman took command of the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNF-U) from his French counterpart,” according to a statement from the British Ministry of Defence on Friday.

Bateman said taking up the position was an honour and pledged to continue working closely with partners in Ukraine and internationally.

“We will continue to work closely with our partners in Ukraine and international partners to prepare forces that will help bring about a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine,” Bateman said in the statement.

The handover of command was a planned arrangement between the United Kingdom and France, as the two countries share leadership of the “coalition of willing nations”.

The “Voluntary Coalition for Ukraine” was initiated by France and the United Kingdom in February 2025 to support Ukraine’s sovereignty by upholding a ceasefire in the country. Around 35 countries have joined the initiative.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the “Voluntary Coalition” as a coalition of warmongers. According to Peskov, the coalition is a group of countries that do not want peace.