The European Union will train 75,000 Ukrainian soldiers and other military personnel as part of its ongoing effort to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities, chief EU diplomat Kaja Kallas announced at a Foreign Affairs Council press conference on December 16.
“The EU must continue supporting Ukraine militarily. By the end of winter, the EU will have trained 75,000 Ukrainian service members,” Kallas said.
The EU has already trained approximately 60,000 Ukrainian troops as of August 2024, most of them in Germany and Poland. In the same month EU defense ministers agreed to increase the number of Ukrainian military personnel by another 15,000.
Kallas stressed the need for further assistance, reflecting appeals made by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during the meeting for more ammunition, stronger air defenses, and expanded backing for Ukraine’s defense industry.
According to Kallas, the EU has provided Ukraine with €4.2 billion euros ($4.4 billion) this month and will start allocating 1.5 billion euros every month from the beginning of 2025.
The European Union Military Assistance Mission was launched in October 2022 with the aim of improving the operational capabilities of Ukrainian forces in their resistance against Russian aggression.
In October, the EU Council extended the mission until November 15, 2026.
The initiative was hailed by top EU diplomat Josep Borrell as the “most successful training mission the EU has ever launched.”
Previously, France trained 2,300 Ukrainian soldiers of the newly formed 155th Mechanized Brigade named after Anna of Kyiv. France also provided its own military equipment, armored vehicles and artillery.
-5217ed312e4204af96d7f5de7745ed91.png)
