Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The EU’s diplomatic service has urged member states to better adapt a military training mission for Ukraine to Kyiv’s requirements but stopped short of recommending the bloc dispatch military instructors to the war-torn nation.
What Challenges Are Facing the EU’s Ukraine Training Mission?
The EUMAM mission, established in November 2022, has introduced some 60,000 Ukrainian troops, especially in Poland and Germany and is set to be developed for another two years once the current mandate runs out in mid-November. “It is imperative to prepare AFU (Ukraine) soldiers on the same equipment that they will use later in combat,” the report noted a review of the mission by the EU’s diplomatic service as speaking, adding that EU defence ministers would discuss the topic next week.
Why Is the EU Hesitant to Deploy Instructors Directly to Ukraine?
The EU did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the reexamination. It stated that a shortage of Soviet-style kits was one of the challenges of the current training in the EU. Kyiv asked the European Union in May to perform some training on Ukrainian soil but member states are separated with sceptics warning that the bloc could be drawn into the fight and raising doubts about Kyiv’s ability to guard training sites against Russian attacks given its extreme shortage of air defences.
What Are the Risks of EU Military Presence on Ukrainian Soil?
The EU review expressed Kyiv’s request could be met by extending the possibility of deploying some EUMAM instructors to Ukrainian training installations, “in a discrete form”, far from the battlefield and perhaps in the western part of the country, although it did not suggest that they be sent. “An EU military presence on Ukrainian soil would likely be perceived by Russia as a provocation,” the review stated.
“The fact that Russia can get every location in Ukraine with their ballistic and UAV (drone) assets donates to the highest level of threat for deployed EU military personnel.” The review raised the demand to be able to evacuate EU troops in an emergency and the logistical step involved in offering instructors fortified housing and training sites while stating that some protective actions, such as against long-range air threats, were not possible.
“Should the necessary political and operational conditions be satisfied, the deployment of EU military personnel on Ukrainian soil is possible,” the document concluded, adding further analysis would be required to fully assess the risks and advantages. However, the review did suggest that the EU establish a coordination cell in Kyiv and research possibilities to conduct training closer to Ukraine’s boundaries while also training more Ukrainian instructors.
