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Journalism of Courage
Says who?
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He convened an emergency meeting attended by leaders of 18 European countries, including France, to rally support for Ukraine in its war with Russia last weekend. On Sunday (March 2), he said Europe needed to do the “heavy lifting” in the process.
“Through my discussions over recent days, we’ve agreed that the UK, France and others will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting,” Starmer said. “Then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States. And take it forward together.”
Starmer presented a four-point plan. This includes continuing to provide military aid to Ukraine, stepping up economic pressure on Russia, holding peace talks but with Ukrainian presence (unlike the plan proposed by Donald Trump), and developing a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine against Russian transgressions and for the subsequent peace process.
What does this phrase mean?
The term “coalition of the willing” refers to a pragmatic ad hoc grouping of countries allied for a common cause, typically a joint military effort.
This is not the first time this term has been used. US Secretary of State Colin Powell, in 2003, used the phrase to describe the alliance of countries which extended support to the US invasion of Iraq, which was launched with the ostensible objective of destroying “weapons of mass destruction” that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain had amassed.
US Army historian Stephen A Carney in his book, “Allied Participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom”, described this step as a precursor to getting UN endorsement for the proposed action. “In order to garner greater support and provide an international flavor to the intervention, President George W Bush assembled a “coalition of the willing,” ultimately involving about sixty nations,” he wrote. The UK sent the largest military contingent – 45,000 troops – to support the US. In total, some 37 countries provided around 150,000 ground troops through July 2009.
What does a coalition of the willing look like now?
According to Starmer, the UK was willing to extend its support with “boots on the ground and planes in the air”.
He said that “ a number of countries” had expressed their interest in being involved, but did not place any compulsion on them to participate. “Not every nation will feel able to contribute, but that can’t mean that we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency,” said the British Prime Minister. The BBC reported earlier this week that about 20 countries are interested in joining the coalition.
