EU contemplates deploying troops to Kiev and broadens its training initiative
Borrell suggested this agreement to the member states. The Ukrainian request for their soldiers to be trained directly on Ukrainian soil instead of EU nations is encountering opposition, particularly in Berlin. Germany and other EU nations are apprehensive about potential conflicts with Moscow and high risks for European troops in such a scenario.
Borrell downplayed his idea for a coordination hub in Kyiv, stating it would be "not that large," potentially accommodating 3 to 6 European military personnel. He's not anticipating any issues, shared the Spaniard. However, he further mentioned, taking German concerns into account: "I can't fathom German bureaucrats jetting off to Kyiv to instruct someone on military training methods."
By the close of 2022, the EU had set up its training mission Eumam Ukraine (European Military Assistance Mission). Around 60,000 Ukrainian troops have undergone training, all of which has been done on EU soil, as per official statistics.
Before these discussions, Parliamentary State Secretary for Defense, Thomas Hitschler, highlighted that Germany aims to train 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers by year's end. The training will take place "in Germany," he stressed. He left open the possibility of whether this number could be increased.
Despite Borrell's proposal for a coordination hub in Kyiv, Germany has expressed reluctance to send their officials for military training due to potential conflicts with Moscow. The EU's training mission, Eumam Ukraine, has successfully trained over 60,000 Ukrainian troops on EU soil, as confirmed by official statistics, with Germany playing a significant role in this training initiative.
