Multinational force for Ukraine: first “Koalicja” exercise in Poland from 9 to 22 November
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- From 9 to 22 November the “Koalicja” exercise in Poland will bring together about 2,800 troops from ten countries.
- The force, led by France and the United Kingdom, is not a NATO force and assumes a prior ceasefire.
- The date of a ceasefire is unknown: the deployment remains hypothetical.
In this article
The exercise announced
According to France 24, the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNF-U) will hold the exercise “Koalicja” (“coalition” in Polish) in Poland from 9 to 22 November, announced on 3 November by London and Paris. About 2,800 troops from ten countries are taking part (Germany, Belgium, Spain, Estonia, France, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom, Sweden), including about 1,100 French and 300 British. The training ground is Nowa Dęba, in south-eastern Poland, about 100 km from the Ukrainian border.
What is this force?
Created in March 2025 and led by France and the United Kingdom, the MNF-U is separate from NATO. It would be deployed after a ceasefire to deter a future Russian aggression, help Ukraine’s economic reconstruction, secure the Black Sea for grain exports and reopen airspace. Officials say it is neither a combat mission, nor a show of force, nor peacekeeping, with defensive rules of engagement. Only light equipment is being sent, with no armoured vehicles, including a French unit of about 50 “contact” drones.
Objectives and countries’ positions
The exercise will test planning, logistics, communications and the compatibility of command information systems outside NATO structures, with preparation for possible Russian information or hybrid attacks. Turkey will lead the maritime component and a separate simulation of securing the Black Sea. Twenty-four of the 36 countries of the “coalition of the willing” have committed to an air, maritime or land component. Poland and Germany have said they will not send ground troops to Ukraine. The headquarters will move from Paris to London by the end of 2026.
Points not verified
It is not known when a ceasefire might occur: the deployment remains hypothetical, with peace negotiations at a standstill since February according to the article. The size of the full force, each country’s contribution, the identity of the 24 committed countries, Turkish troop numbers and the timetable of the maritime simulation could not be verified.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
Le terrain est celui de Nowa Dęba, dans le sud-est de la Pologne, à environ 100 km de la frontière ukrainienne.Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
Londres et Paris ont annoncé le 3 novembre le premier exercice de la force multinationale pour l’Ukraine, qui n’est pas une force de l’OTAN.Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The passé composé of pronominal verbs
se + present of être + past participle
24 des 36 pays de la « coalition des volontaires » se sont engagés sur une composante aérienne, maritime ou terrestre.Key pointsThe passé composé of a pronominal verb (se + verb) always uses être as auxiliary (il s’est diffusé / elles se sont réunies). Se changes with the subject: me, te, se, nous, vous. The past participle usually agrees with the subject in gender and number.
04The futur simple
stem (infinitive) + -ai / -as / -a / -ons / -ez / -ont
Selon France 24, la Force multinationale pour l’Ukraine (MNF-U) tiendra en Pologne, du 9 au 22 novembre, l’exercice « Koalicja » (« coalition » en polonais), annoncé le 3 novembre par Londres et Paris.Key pointsThe futur simple means “will do” or “is planned to”. Add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont to the infinitive (participer → il participera). Watch the irregular stems: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-, faire → fer-, pouvoir → pourr-, voir → verr-. In the news it is used for fixed plans and outlooks.
05The present conditional
stem (infinitive) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient
Elle serait déployée après un cessez-le-feu pour dissuader une future agression russe, aider la reconstruction économique de l’Ukraine, sécuriser la mer Noire pour les exportations de céréales et rouvrir l’espace aérien.Key pointsThe conditional expresses possibility, supposition, unconfirmed information and polite requests (“would”, “might”). It uses the same stem as the future and the same endings as the imparfait (-ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient): pouvoir → il pourrait. In the news it is used to avoid asserting, as in “is reported to…” or “there is a possibility…”.
06The passive voice in the present
être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)
Seul du matériel léger est envoyé, sans blindés, dont une unité française d’environ 50 drones « de contact ».Key pointsThe passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).
07Pronominal verbs
se / s’ + verb
Les responsables disent qu’il ne s’agit ni d’une mission de combat, ni de démonstration de force, ni de maintien de la paix, avec des règles d’engagement défensives.Key pointsA pronominal verb is used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) before the verb. It can mean “do to oneself”, “be done” or “do to each other”. In the news, se traduire (to result in), se tenir (to take place), s’agir de (to be a matter of) and se diffuser (to spread) are frequent. The pronoun changes with the subject (il se tient / ils se tiennent / je me souviens).
08Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Londres et Paris ont annoncé le 3 novembre le premier exercice de la force multinationale pour l’Ukraine, qui n’est pas une force de l’OTAN.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
09Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon France 24, la Force multinationale pour l’Ukraine (MNF-U) tiendra en Pologne, du 9 au 22 novembre, l’exercice « Koalicja » (« coalition » en polonais), annoncé le 3 novembre par Londres et Paris.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
10Pouvoir: ability and possibility
peut / peuvent / pourrait + infinitive
On ne sait pas quand un cessez-le-feu pourrait intervenir : le déploiement reste hypothétique, les négociations de paix étant au point mort depuis février selon l’article.Key pointsPut a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.
11Purpose with pour
pour + infinitive
Elle serait déployée après un cessez-le-feu pour dissuader une future agression russe, aider la reconstruction économique de l’Ukraine, sécuriser la mer Noire pour les exportations de céréales et rouvrir l’espace aérien.Key pointsThis is the purpose, “in order to…”. Put the base form of a verb after pour. The purpose stated here is separate from whether the effect was actually achieved.
12The construction il s’agit de
il s’agit de + noun / infinitive
Les responsables disent qu’il ne s’agit ni d’une mission de combat, ni de démonstration de force, ni de maintien de la paix, avec des règles d’engagement défensives.Key pointsIt explains what something is about: “it is a matter of…”. The il is not a particular man but a formal subject of this construction. The negative il ne s’agit pas de means “this is not about…”.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
France 24によると、「ウクライナのための多国籍軍（MNF-U）」は、11月9日から22日まで、ポーランドで「Koalicja（連合）」という演習を行います。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Polite negation and plain form
〜ではありません / 〜ではない
NATOの部隊ではない点にも注意してください。Key pointsThey negate a noun and similar content. “ではありません” is the polite form and “ではない” the plain form. “成立ではありません” shows that it cannot be said to have been concluded.
03Cause or purpose with ため
〜ため / 〜ために
英仏が主導する「ウクライナのための多国籍軍」が、停戦後の展開を想定した最初の演習を行うと、11月3日に発表されました。Key pointsため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.
04Giving examples with など
noun / expression + など
装甲車は送らず、約50機の短距離の「接触型」ドローンなど、軽い装備に限られます。Key points“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.
05The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
発表は11月3日で、ロンドンとパリが行いました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
06Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
NATOとは別の枠組みで、停戦が成立した後に配備され、将来のロシアの攻撃を抑止し、ウクライナの経済復興を助け、黒海の穀物輸出の安全を守り、領空を再び開くことを目的としています。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.