The European Union on Monday approved a
military training mission in Europe for thousands of Ukrainian troops and to
provide around 500 million euros ($486 million) in extra funds to help buy
weapons for the war-torn country.
The mission, which will have a
headquarters in Brussels and be under the command of French naval officer Vice
Adm. Herve Blejean, will initially run for two years with a budget of almost
107 million euros ($104 million).
EU headquarters said in a statement that
the mission’s aim is to allow the Ukrainian armed forces to “effectively
conduct military operations,” so that Ukraine can “defend its territorial
integrity within its internationally recognized borders, effectively exercise
its sovereignty and protect civilians.”
It said that the EU will provide
“individual, collective and specialized training.” Countries that aren't part
of the bloc will be allowed to take part in the training effort. The aim
initially is to train about 15,000 Ukrainian troops, chiefly in Poland and
Germany.
It's hoped that the mission will be up and
running by mid-November.
Several EU and NATO nations are already
training Ukraine’s armed forces on a bilateral basis. Asked what added value
the Brussels-headquartered mission would bring, EU foreign policy chief Josep
Borrell said Monday that he’s “strongly convinced that putting together the
capacities of the European armies we can offer a much better product.”
The aerial aggression inspired renewed
support from Kyiv's Western allies, with President Joe Biden vowing to provide
the advanced air defense systems Ukraine wants in order to fend off such
attacks.
The White House was previously reluctant
to put the technology in play in Ukraine, fearing it would be seen by Russia as
a step closer to direct U.S. involvement in the war.
NATO started training military instructors
in Ukraine after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. The military
alliance believes that training the trainers is the most effective way of
helping Ukraine’s armed forces as it doesn't require troops needed for battle
to leave the country.
The EU also approved a sixth tranche of
money, worth 500 million euros ($486 million), from the European Peace Facility
— a fund being used to reimburse member countries that provide weapons,
ammunition and non-lethal military support to Ukraine.
Around 10 million euros ($9.7 million)
from that sum will be used to provide equipment and supplies, like personal
protection gear, first-aid kits and fuel.
It brings to just over 3 billion euros
($2.9 billion) the total EU sum in security support being made available for
Ukraine. Individual countries are also spending more on top of that. The
decisions will come almost eight months after Russia launched its invasion of
Ukraine.