Ukraine 'coalition of the willing' presses ahead with force planning amid doubts about US support

BRUSSELS (AP) — Britain's defense minister on Thursday urged his counterparts from around 30 countries to press ahead with plans to deploy troops to Ukraine to police any future peace agreement with Russia, as questions remained over whether the United States would provide backup.

Chairing the first meeting of the so-called coalition of the willing at the level of defense ministers, U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said its members must ensure "that we’re fully prepared for the moment a peace agreement is reached.”

“We must be ready for when that peace comes. That’s why the work of this coalition is so vital," Healey said at NATO headquarters in Brussels. He added that 200 military planners have been developing plans to deepen European involvement in Ukraine.

In a post on social media, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that “Ukraine is ready for peace — one that is just and backed by strength.”

Ukrainian government officials and military analysts have said that Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in Ukraine in the coming weeks to maximize pressure on Kyiv and strengthen the Kremlin’s negotiating position in ceasefire talks.

As usual with coalition gatherings, the United States did not take part. The success of the coalition’s operation hinges on U.S. backup with airpower or other military assistance, but the Trump administration has made no public commitment to provide support.

The Netherlands, Sweden and Finland underlined the “crucial” role of the United States.

“The United States is a crucial player still in guaranteeing lasting security” in Ukraine, said Finnish Defense Minister Annit Häkkänen. His Swedish counterpart, Pål Jonson, said success in Ukraine requires “some form of U.S. engagement" while Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans called American support “very important" but said the form it took might differ, depending on the chosen type of European mission in Ukraine.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ministers were “trying to keep the United States on board."

Amid that uncertainty and U.S. warnings that Europe must take care of its own security and that of Ukraine in future, the force is seen as a first test of the continent’s willingness to defend itself and its interests.

Its make-up will depend on the nature of any peace agreement, but the contingent is unlikely to be stationed at Ukraine's border with Russia. It would be located farther from the ceasefire line, perhaps even outside Ukraine, and deploy to counter any Russian attack.

Building a force big enough to act as a credible deterrent is proving a considerable effort for nations that shrank their militaries after the Cold War but are now rearming. U.K. officials have talked about possibly 10,000 to 30,000 troops.

Healey said the “reassurance force for Ukraine would be a committed and credible security arrangement to ensure that any negotiated peace does bring what President Trump has pledged: a lasting peace for Ukraine.”

But some countries are reluctant to contribute personnel without U.S. support. The Europeans cannot match U.S. weapons systems, intelligence gathering and satellite surveillance capabilities.

More fundamentally, members of the coalition are still trying to establish how the force would operate: Leading countries want a robust deterrence force to defend against any Russian attack.

Brekelmans said key questions must be answered like “what is the potential mission? What is going to be the goal? What is the mandate? What would we do in different scenarios, for example, if there would be any escalation regarding Russia?”

Some countries — Italy and the Netherlands, for example — require the approval of their national parliaments before they can deploy troops.

On Friday, representatives from around 50 nations will gather at NATO to drum up military support for Ukraine. That meeting will be chaired by Britain and Germany. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to join the meeting via video from Washington.

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AP writer Sam McNeil contributed to this report from Barcelona, Spain.

Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey, left, sits next to French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu as he talks during a coalition of the willing defence ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Flags of the Alliance members flap in the wind prior to a coalition of the willing defence ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu arrives for a coalition of the willing defence ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, right, talks with Romania's Defense Minister Angel Tilvar as they arrive for a coalition of the willing defence ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey, center, talks with Romania's Defense Minister Angel Tilvar as they arrive for a coalition of the willing defence ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Belgium's Defense Minister Theo Francken, right, talks with Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, right, during a coalition of the willing defence ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, left, speaks with Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey, center, as French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu arrives for a coalition of the willing defence ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov arrives for a coalition of the willing defence ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks during a press conference at the end of the EU-Ukraine Association Council at the European Council building in Brussels, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speak during a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of a summit for "coalition of the willing" at the Elysee Palace, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Drones attacked a vessel carrying aid to Gaza on Friday in international waters off Malta, the group organizing the shipment said, in the latest confrontation over efforts to send assistance to the Palestinian territory devastated by nearly 19 months of war.

A nearby tugboat responded to a distress call from the Conscience, which authorities said experienced a fire that was brought under control. The vessel was carrying 12 crew members and four civilians, the Maltese government said, adding that those aboard refused to leave the ship. The group was safe and no serious injuries were reported, it said.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition accused Israel of attacking its ship. The group did not provide evidence for that claim or to show that the fire was caused by drones, but in a video it shared an explosion could be heard. Another video showed a fire blazing.

The Israeli army did not respond to a request for comment. Israel has cut off Gaza from all imports, including food and medicine, since the beginning of March, leading to what is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis in the war with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group.

Video from aboard the Conscience appeared to show at least two large holes in the deck, with thick smoke surrounding the ship. The person recording the footage said the vessel had just been hit twice and was on fire about 14 miles from port in Malta. The video was provided by Codepink, a grassroots peace and social justice movement.

The ship is not taking on water, but its generator was badly damaged and will need to be repaired before continuing, Charlie Andreasson, who has been involved with the Freedom Flotilla for more than a decade, told The Associated Press. He said some crew members suffered minor injuries while putting out the fire.

The damaged ship now appears to be stranded at anchor in international waters, said Tighe Barry, a Codepink member who was among a group of activists who took speedboats to the Conscience after the attack. The boats were turned away by Maltese authorities, he said, but one person made it aboard and spoke to the captain.

Barry said the nation of Palau revoked its flag from the Conscience prior to the attack, and authorities in Malta, Greece and Turkey have threatened to confiscate the ship if it comes to port. Barry said the ship was loaded with medicine and food supplies for Gaza.

“To get a new flag will take months, so they're just stuck out there,” Barry said of the crew.

Israel says the blockade is an attempt to pressure Hamas to release hostages it took during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the conflict. Hamas-led militants assaulted southern Israel that day, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.

In response, Israel launched an offensive that has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. Israel’s bombardment and ground operations have destroyed vast areas of the territory and left most of its population homeless.

When an aid flotilla attempted to break a blockade of Gaza in 2010, Israeli forces stormed a Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, killing nine people on board.

On Friday, the Conscience was hit about 16 miles (26 kilometers) from Malta, according to the Freedom Flotilla.

Andreasson said he had spoken to people on board who said there were two explosions and the fire.

Photos provided by the Cypriot authorities showed the ship with damage to its side. No one aboard the vessel could immediately be reached for comment.

Earlier the group said the strike appeared to have targeted the ship’s generator, causing a “substantial breach in the hull” and leaving it without power. It said that put the vessel at risk of sinking.

According to the ship-monitoring website Marine Traffic, the Conscience left the Tunisian port of Bizerte on Tuesday and arrived Thursday morning in the area where it reported being attacked. The organizers said the ship was hit Friday, just after midnight.

Volunteers who had traveled to Malta were meant to board the ship to go to Gaza, the group said. Andreasson said climate activist Greta Thunberg was supposed to have participated. The organization said Thunberg did not board and was safe.

About two dozen volunteers, including Thunberg, took smaller boats to the Conscience to assess the damage after the attack, said Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Codepink. Benjamin said the ship's crew are from Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The attack happened as aid groups have warned that the humanitarian response in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday that it will not have access to food, medicine and life-saving supplies needed for many of its Gaza programs if aid deliveries don’t resume immediately.

Programs at risk include “common kitchens” that often give residents the only meal they receive each day and could be forced to halt operations in a few weeks, the ICRC said.

“Aid must be allowed to enter Gaza. Hostages must be released. Civilians must be protected,” the committee said. “Without immediate action, Gaza will descend further into chaos that humanitarian efforts will not be able to mitigate.”

Brito contributed from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel; Giada Zampano in Rome; Kevin Schembri Orland in St. Julian’s, Malta; Colleen Barry in Soave, Italy; Elena Becatoros and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus; and Jon Gambrell in Dubai contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

In this photo provided by the Government of Cyprus, a fire burns on the ship The Conscience, after a drone struck the vessel carrying aid to Gaza off the coast of Malta, Friday, May 2, 2025. (Government of Cyprus via AP)

This photo provided by the Goverment of Cyprus and taken from the EDT ship AEOLUS shows The Conscience, after a drone struck the vessel carrying aid to Gaza off the coast of Malta, Friday, May 2, 2025. (Government of Cyprus via AP)

A firefighting-equipped tug boat, left, contacted by the Malta Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) helps controlling a fire occurred on the bow of the Conscience vessel in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Friday, May 2, 2025. (Malta Vessel Traffic Services via AP)