Downing Street said Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on 30 November, reviewing the situation in Ukraine and reiterating the aim of a just and lasting peace. The official readout added that both welcomed close coordination between NATO and the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ on preparations for a possible cessation of hostilities.
Rutte, who has served as NATO Secretary General since 1 October 2024, was briefed on coalition planning and next steps, according to No.10. The call did not announce new commitments, but confirmed ongoing alignment between the ad hoc coalition and NATO structures.
The ‘Coalition of the Willing’ in this context refers to an ad hoc grouping that has convened since March 2025 to back ceasefire efforts and design credible security guarantees for Ukraine. On 25 November it was co‑chaired by the UK, France and Germany, with participation from 35 countries, EU leaders, NATO and the United States; President Zelenskyy also joined.
According to the co‑chairs’ statement on 25 November, the coalition’s remit includes post‑ceasefire security arrangements, sanctions coordination and long‑term financing. Leaders agreed to accelerate joint work with the United States on security guarantees and urged rapid decisions on sustained funding for Ukraine, including through the use of the full value of immobilised Russian sovereign assets. Starmer has said the UK is prepared to move with the EU on using frozen Russian assets.
Force planning has progressed in parallel. In July, UK, French and Ukrainian leaders confirmed mature operational plans for a reassurance force-‘Multinational Force Ukraine’-to deploy once hostilities cease, supported by a UK‑French operational headquarters and subject to an invitation from Kyiv. The UK has since said this planning remains live, with any deployment conditional on a ceasefire.
Coordination with NATO, highlighted in today’s readout, does not imply a NATO‑flagged mission. Coalition planners have worked alongside NATO mechanisms such as the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine initiative, and via the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, to ensure compatibility of support and any future force design. Starmer has repeatedly framed NATO as the cornerstone of UK security.
On the diplomatic track, coalition chairs recorded ‘meaningful progress’ from United States–Ukraine discussions in Geneva on 23 November and reiterated that any settlement must preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty and that borders cannot be changed by force. Today’s No.10 note reflects that momentum while keeping the emphasis on a ‘just and lasting’ outcome.
For policy teams and organisations planning around a potential ceasefire, the official record points to three near‑term priorities: completing joint military planning on security guarantees; agreeing a financing route that taps immobilised Russian assets; and clarifying how NATO instruments will interface with any coalition‑led reassurance force once fighting stops. These points are drawn from government statements rather than informal briefings.