The European Union has stepped up its support for Ukraine by launching a military aid mission for Ukrainian troops, more than eight months after Russia invaded Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday that this mission is a direct response to Ukraine’s request for such support and said “up to 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in various European member states” as part of shipment. “It will be a big effort to renew, increase, improve the capabilities of the Ukrainian military,” Borel said, adding that it would be operational in less than three months. The mission will be led by French Vice-Admiral Hervé Bléjean, and EU defense ministers also agreed to provide a 16 million euro ($16.5 million) fund under the European Peace Fund (EPF) – an EU financial instrument for conflict prevention and peace building – to support the mission for 24 months. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the EU’s decision to establish the training mission for Ukraine’s armed forces and told reporters in Brussels that it would complement what NATO countries are already doing. “But it is important to provide more training because the Ukrainians are fighting a bloody battle that is very challenging,” he told reporters at a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels. Harry Nedelku, director of geopolitics at Rasmussen Global who heads the Ukraine Advisory Service, told Al Jazeera that while at first glance one might be tempted to point out that this military training is pointless, as Ukraine has the most “hardened” army in Europe. Now, it is important not to reject EU support. “If the EU is going to focus heavily on training new recruits and relieve Ukraine of the need to train them in the midst of an ongoing war and focus its resources on the frontline, then EU support adds value,” he said. “But it is also important to note that this military training mission actually comes in the context of some EU member states – such as France and Germany – underperforming in terms of arms delivery. That’s probably what Ukraine needs a lot more at the moment, apart from training,” he said. Both France and Germany have been repeatedly criticized by Ukraine for not sending enough weapons. Nedelcu said this EU military training aid mission, with France and Germany playing a key role, is a way to counter that criticism. Speaking to reporters in Brussels ahead of a meeting of EU defense ministers, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said “up to 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in Germany by June 2023 and a repair center will be set up in Slovakia.” As the war continues with Russian missiles continuing to hit key Ukrainian cities, EU foreign policy chief Borrell also stressed that while the EU will continue to supply weapons to Ukraine, it is also important for the bloc to think about its own stockpile of weapons and its defensive capabilities. . “European militaries have to share, they have to be interoperable, they have to work together as much as possible to replenish their stocks,” he told reporters. While the bloc is considering the aspect of joint arms procurement, Ndelkou said it could pose a challenge for the EU. “Some Eastern European countries, such as Poland, have supplied more weapons to Ukraine than others. But now, many countries – especially in Central and Eastern Europe – have realized that they also need to replenish their own depleted reserves. Poland, for example, has signed an agreement to buy K2 tanks from South Korea,” Nedelcu said. “While the Korean K2s are very capable, continuing to restore force readiness across Europe will take a lot of work. This is why the EU is seeking to pool its resources and close the gap in order to avoid a race to secure orders and raise prices. However, with many industry players pushing for their interests in all EU member states, finding a common solution suitable for all could be challenging,” he added.
