British officer takes command of multinational force for Ukraine, succeeding his French counterpart

London, July 24 (KUNA) -- British Field Marshal Tom Bateman assumed command of the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNF-U) on Friday, succeeding his French counterpart, during a formal ceremony held at the force’s headquarters in Paris. The British Ministry of Defence said in a statement that the handover of command is part of a British-French rotation system under which the two countries share joint leadership of the Multinational Force. The statement added that the MNF-U was established in March 2025 following the London Summit on Ukraine, with the aim of enhancing coordination and preparedness among participating states. It noted that Britain and France, along with countries of the “Coalition of the Willing,” confirmed last week that the force will conduct training exercises in the coming months to demonstrate its readiness to act immediately upon the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. (End) A.S.H / M.N.F