UK PM and Germany's Merz meet at London Balkans Summit
If you’re following today’s Western Balkans Leaders’ Summit in London, here’s the key moment: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In the official UK readout, both leaders stressed working more closely with partners to tackle irregular migration and strengthen security across Europe. The summit sits within the UK‑hosted Berlin Process gathering on 22 October 2025.
They also looked ahead to a leaders’ call on Friday, described as a “Coalition of the Willing” meeting convened by the Prime Minister. The two agreed Ukraine must be in the strongest position before, during and after any ceasefire, and repeated a clear principle: no decisions about Ukraine’s future should be made without Ukraine at the table. That is the headline message from the government note.
If you’re hearing the phrase “coalition of the willing” in the Ukraine context for the first time, think of it as a European‑led grouping coordinating security guarantees and practical backing while a wider ceasefire path is explored. Earlier this year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would host such a meeting, with France and the UK prominent; discussions even touched on a limited foreign presence to underpin guarantees if a ceasefire takes hold.
On support for Kyiv, the UK note says partners should intensify efforts to weaken Russia’s ability to wage war. Germany under Chancellor Merz has repeatedly signalled strong backing for Ukraine since he took office in May 2025, after a tight Bundestag vote put him in the Chancellery. Expect sanctions, export controls and military aid to remain the main tools named by leaders.
Turning to the Middle East, the two leaders said the ceasefire must hold and more aid must reach people who need it. In practical terms, Britain has embedded a small team of planning officers, including a two‑star deputy commander, in a US‑led Civil‑Military Coordination Centre in Israel to help monitor the Gaza truce; Germany has announced it is sending a brigadier general and two officers to the same hub. These are small, unarmed deployments focused on coordination.
If you’re teaching this, a quick explainer on ceasefire mechanics helps. Before a ceasefire, parties agree the start time and initial steps. During a ceasefire, a coordination centre tracks incidents, opens safe routes for aid and checks whether commitments-like hostage‑prisoner exchanges-are being met. After a ceasefire, talks move to longer‑term security and who monitors it. Right now, the US has moved around 200 personnel to Israel to stand up that coordination centre, and France, Britain and the US are refining a UN Security Council resolution for an international stabilisation force that would draw in regional contributors.
So why was this conversation happening at a Western Balkans summit? Because that forum is about European stability in a broad sense-economic cooperation, energy links and movement of people all shape security. The Berlin Process is the platform the UK hosted today to bring Western Balkans leaders and European partners into the same room to keep that work moving.
Media‑literacy note for your students: government readouts are short by design. They tell you who met, the themes, and the tone-but not every detail, red line or disagreement. Use them as a primary source for the timeline (who/what/when/where), then compare with independent reporting to understand what’s being negotiated and what still isn’t in public view. In this case, the UK summary sets the agenda; wire reports fill in how the ceasefire monitoring is actually being set up.
A short glossary for clarity, written for the classroom. Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia-the countries the Berlin Process aims to support towards deeper European integration. Coalition of the Willing (Ukraine): a political grouping of countries, led by European partners such as the UK and France, coordinating support and potential security guarantees for Ukraine. Ceasefire: a halt in fighting with agreed steps and monitoring; it is not the same as a final peace deal. Irregular migration: people moving across borders outside formal routes; the term refers to legal status, not a person’s worth or rights.
What to watch next: the coalition call pencilled for Friday 24 October 2025, where we’ll learn whether partners pledge fresh air‑defence stocks, training packages or financial guarantees for Ukraine, and how quickly the Gaza coordination centre scales up. For verification, keep an eye on official statements from London and Berlin, and on wire services tracking the stabilisation force talks at the UN.