"While we had hoped this day would not come, we have been preparing for this possibility.

In response, a coalition ..."

This sounds like secret, unofficial contingency planning; "this day" has apparently come very suddenly.

I doubt it’s meant to be “secret” contingency planning, but definitely unofficial contingency planning

On its face this sounds like a scheme quickly devised by a malicious actor to gain a trusted role. We're starting to see some external corrobboration, so maybe it will turn out to be legitimate after all, but the smart money is always on skepticism.