Madrid To Host Confidential ‘Coalition of the Willing’ Meeting

This coming Tuesday, November 4th, Madrid will become the stage for a gathering unusual even by European diplomatic standards. Behind closed doors, with no phones allowed and an explicit order to avoid any information leaks, senior officials from 35 countries will convene at Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for what has been described as a “private and secret” summit of the ‘Coalition of the Willing’—the group led by France and the United Kingdom created to coordinate military and political assistance to Ukraine.

According to leaked documents, the meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until mid-afternoon. Its main goal: to reinforce financial and military support for Kyiv and advance a framework of “security guarantees” intended to deter future Russian offensives once the war comes to an end. Though not a high-level event—no heads of state or defense ministers will attend—it is nevertheless seen as a key opportunity to align strategies ahead of the political decisions expected in the coming months.

The first working session will focus on Ukraine’s financial situation, particularly on funds for defense and reconstruction. Delegates will discuss how to “increase support for Kyiv” and establish priorities for aid at a time when war fatigue and budgetary limits are beginning to weigh on several European capitals. The meeting will also address pressure on Russia, ranging from new sanctions to the possible use of frozen Russian assets held in European banks—a controversial idea that continues to generate legal and political tensions.

Midway through the day, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares will deliver a thirty-minute address outlining his vision for the coalition. However, the Spanish diplomat will not take part in the working groups, as the meeting is being held at a lower level, with the participation of directors-general and senior advisers.

The second session will focus on designing future security guarantees for Ukraine, including discussions on the legal and diplomatic foundations of a potential multinational mission or bilateral defense agreements. The goal is to define a common framework that would allow European nations to commit to Kyiv’s defense outside NATO’s formal structure—an approach that worries some member states due to the risk of duplicating efforts and heightening tensions with Moscow.

The Madrid meeting comes barely two weeks after the gathering of leaders in London, where the delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and the possible use of frozen Russian funds to finance the war effort were discussed. But the context has shifted. Uncertainty over the role of the United States—after Donald Trump’s diplomatic turnarounds, from offering missiles to proposing a summit with Putin—has reignited the debate on Europe’s dependency and the long-term sustainability of the conflict.

Meanwhile, the official rhetoric insists that “Western unity” remains unbroken, though more and more voices are calling for a pragmatic approach and a negotiated exit before the war drains further resources and destabilizes Europe’s already fragile balance.