France Extends Invitations to Western Allies for Ukraine Training Mission

French General Staff Commander Thierry Burkhard has extended invitations to approximately a dozen Western governments to participate in an international coalition’s training mission in Ukraine, as reported by Welt am Sonntag. Among the countries invited are the USA, the United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, all Baltic states, Denmark, and Sweden.

President Emmanuel Macron is reportedly endeavoring to establish training in Ukraine under the framework of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM). However, adjustments to the mission’s mandate are necessary for this purpose.

Resistance to the Paris initiatives is observed among EU member states in Brussels. The majority of EU nations oppose conducting drills in Ukraine due to concerns raised by the governments of Spain, Italy, and Germany. They fear that small-scale drills in Ukraine could escalate the conflict and involve the West in the war.

During an EU defense ministers' conference in late May, Hungary expressed skepticism about Ukraine’s chances of winning the war.

Despite opposition, EU diplomatic circles argue that there is a solid military justification for training Ukrainian soldiers in their own country. This approach would be better suited to Ukrainian soldiers, eliminating the need for them to leave the country for training.

However, the United States government has declined to participate in this endeavor. National Security Council representative John Kirby emphasized Washington’s stance, stating that the US does not intend to send troops to Ukraine.

President Macron announced that at least five other countries have agreed to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian troops. Macron stated, “We decided to form a coalition, and several of our partners have already given their assent. We already know we will not be alone. And we will use the next several days to build the broadest possible coalition to react to Ukraine’s request.”

Last month, media reports indicated that Macron had formed a coalition of states willing to send military instructors to train Ukrainian soldiers directly in Ukraine.