France invites European powers to attend July 14 Bastille Day celebrations

PARIS, May 19 (Reuters) - France ‌has invited ​European ​states in Ukraine's "coalition of the willing" to attend its July 14 Bastille Day celebrations, according to ‌an official invitation seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Led by ⁠France and Britain, the coalition is mainly composed of European nations aiming ‌to firm up security ‌guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2014 and again at ​full scale in 2022.

The 2026 Bastille Day commemorations will be held under the theme of "European strategic awakening," according ⁠to the invitation, at a time of heightened strains in transatlantic ties, particularly over ​the war in Iran.

This year's annual military parade will be President Emmanuel Macron's last before leaving ​office and will provide an opportunity ‌to underscore political support for Ukraine as prospects for a near-term end to the war with ⁠Russia appear slim.

The coalition has been under French command since November 2025 and is due to pass to British command in ⁠July.

About 25 countries have committed to a future multinational force for Ukraine ​that could include deployments on Ukrainian territory.

Military officials say preparations for such a mission are complete and that it is ready to be ‌deployed in the event of a ceasefire, though details remain limited.

Moscow has shown no public ‌sign that it would accept a peace deal with the ⁠security guarantees envisaged by Ukraine's ‌allies, and has ​previously rejected the presence of any NATO troops inside Ukraine.

(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Charlotte Van ‌Campenhout)

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