Editor
French President Emmanuel Macron has been open to the concept of coaching troops in Ukraine, backed by international locations like Lithuania, however others, like Germany, are fearful that might escalate tensions with Russia and endanger the lives of Western trainers despatched into war-torn Ukraine.
Those worries are mirrored within the doc,
“It is very seemingly that an EU navy presence on Ukrainian soil can be perceived by Russia as a provocation,” it says, and provides that it’s “not possible” for the EU to guard any trainers despatched to Ukraine.
The request to coach troops in Ukraine comes from Kyiv, with the doc saying the Ukrainian authorities feels “that is deemed as sooner, more cost effective, and logistically simpler. Alternatively, coaching might be carried out in Ukraine’s neighbouring international locations.”
So far, EU coaching has taken place primarily in Poland and Germany. By the top of the summer season, about 60,000 Ukrainians had undergone coaching.
The EEAS recommends extending EUMAM’s mandate by two years till Nov. 15, 2026 and exploring the potential of holding “coaching nearer to Ukraine’s borders.”
The doc was mentioned by ambassadors within the Political and Security Committee on Tuesday and is anticipated to be on the agenda when international and protection ministers meet later this week.
Peter Stano, EU lead spokesperson for exterior affairs, declined to remark.
