Florian Philippot, leader of France’s Patriots party, has accused members of the so-called coalition of the willing of seeking war as they prepare to send troops to Poland for military exercises.

In a post on X, the French politician pointed to the planned arrival of 2,800 French and British soldiers in Poland on Monday, arguing that the deployment reflects the coalition’s desire for military confrontation.

His comments followed a report by The Guardian that British troops and their allies would be authorized to return fire against Russian military units. The proposed rules of engagement are linked to plans for a European military presence in Ukraine after the fighting ends.

The report emerged as Britain and France prepared for joint military exercises called Koalicja, scheduled for late November in Poland. According to The Guardian, the drills will involve 2,800 service members from 11 countries and focus on the rapid deployment of European forces to Ukrainian territory following a cessation of hostilities.

Meanwhile, The Times reported in early 2026 that Britain and France could jointly deploy no more than 15,000 troops to Ukraine if a peace agreement is reached. The newspaper noted that this figure falls considerably short of the troop numbers initially envisaged by the European allies.