The European Union has stepped up its support for Ukraine by launching a military assistance project for Ukrainian troops, more than 8 months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
EU foreign policy leader Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday that the project was a direct reaction to Ukraine’s request and said “up to 15,000 Ukrainian infantrymen will be trained in other European member states” as a component of the project.
“This is going to be a great effort to renew, increase the functions of the Ukrainian army,” Borrell said, adding that it would be operational in less than 3 months.
The project will be led by French Vice Admiral Hervé Bléjean, and EU defence ministers also agreed to allocate a fund value of 16 million euros ($16. 5 million) under the European Peace Fund (ETH), an EU monetary tool for conflict prevention and peacebuilding. for the project for 24 months.
NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the EU resolution to identify the Ukrainian Armed Forces project and told reporters in Brussels that it would complement what NATO countries are already doing.
“But we provide more education because Ukrainians are waging a bloody war that is very difficult,” he told reporters at an assembly of EU defense ministers in Brussels.
Harry Nedelcu, geopolitical director at Rasmussen Global who runs its consulting service in Ukraine, told Al Jazeera that while at first glance, one might be tempted to point out that this military formation is meaningless since Ukraine has the most “battle-hardened” military in Europe. Now it is not to refuse EU support.
“If the EU focuses specifically on exercising new recruits and prevents Ukraine from having to exercise them in the middle of an ongoing war and concentrate its resources on the front line, then the EU adds value,” he said.
“But it is also vital to note that this army education project is taking a stand in the context of some EU member states, such as France and Germany, that do not comply with arms deliveries. That’s what Ukraine probably wants a lot more right now, apart from education,” he said.
France and Germany have been criticized through Ukraine for not sending enough weapons. Nedelcu said this project to help train the EU army, with France and Germany playing a key role, is a way to offset these criticisms.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels ahead of an assembly of EU defense ministers, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said “up to 5,000 Ukrainian infantrymen will be trained in Germany until June 2023, and a fixed center will be established in Slovakia. “
As the war continues with Russian missiles hitting key cities in Ukraine, EU foreign policy leader Borrell is also under pressure that while the EU will continue to supply weapons to Ukraine, it is also up to the bloc to think about its own stockpile of weapons and defense. Capabilities. .
“European armies will have to be shared, they will have to be interoperable, they will have to go through as much combination as possible to fill their reserves,” he told reporters.
As the bloc considers the facet of joint arms purchases, Nedelcu said it may be a challenge for the EU.
“Some Eastern European countries, such as Poland, have provided Ukraine with more weapons than others. But now, many countries, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, have learned that they also want to fill their own depleted stocks. Poland, for example, signed an agreement to buy K2 tanks from South Korea,” Nedelcu said.
“Although the Korean K2s are very capable, proceeding to repair the readiness of the force across Europe will require a lot of work. That is why the EU is trying to pool its resources and close the gap, to avoid a race and raise prices. However, with multiple trade players pushing for their interests in EU member states, finding a non-unusual solution suitable for all can be difficult. “