From Kyiv to the Baltics: EU Eyes Ukrainian Troops for Postwar Defense Role

Ukraine’s battle-hardened military could help defend the European Union’s eastern flank once a peace deal ends the war, EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said, arguing that Kyiv’s experienced troops would strengthen deterrence against Russia, Politico reported on November 17.

Speaking in Vilnius, Kubilius said it “would be good” to see Ukrainian forces deployed across frontline EU states—beginning in the Baltic region and Lithuania—alongside Germany’s armored brigade and rotating US battalions.

The proposal is hypothetical for now. Russia is still invading Ukraine, and Russian leader Vladimir Putin has shown no interest in any compromise that could end the fighting, Politico wrote.

But Kubilius noted that Ukraine now fields Europe’s most combat-experienced army, a capability other allies do not have.

Read more

Category

War in Ukraine

How Ukraine’s Battlefield Lessons Are Reshaping NATO’s Defense

Feb 07, 2025 16:03

His remarks come as earlier political momentum to admit Ukraine into NATO has stalled due to resistance from Washington and several member states, Politico reported.

Kubilius, a former Lithuanian prime minister, stressed that involving Ukrainian troops would complement—not replace—NATO’s existing posture. Lithuania, he said, has learned “it’s better to have multiple guarantees,” arguing that NATO’s Article 5 should be reinforced by the EU’s own security commitments, backed by clear mechanisms for implementation.

Previously, it was reported that Ukrainian troops training in NATO countries are helping reshape military instruction by sharing frontline experience from the drone-dominated battlefields of Ukraine, according to a report by BBC-Ukraine.

While some training centers in Poland and Czechia still rely on manuals from the Iraq and Afghanistan eras—before drones revolutionized warfare—Ukrainian soldiers are bringing that transformation directly into the classroom.

Help Ukrainian Units Hold the Drone Line

Download APP