EU to send military instructors to Ukraine after ceasefire, says Kallas
Photo: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas (flickr.com)
European countries plan to send military instructors to Ukraine as part of the EUMAM training mission for the Ukrainian army. However, this will only take place after the war ends and will be part of security guarantees, stated EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas during a briefing in Copenhagen.
She said that sending military instructors to Ukraine after a ceasefire will be part of the EU’s contribution to security guarantees for Ukraine. European countries will fully honor their commitments.
"I welcome that there is broad support today to expand our EU military mission mandate to provide training and advice inside Ukraine after any truce," she said.
Kallas added that the European Union is currently Ukraine’s largest partner in military training and conducts a large number of courses for Ukrainian soldiers. Since the start of the program, a total of 80,000 military personnel have completed training there.
However, Europe could also deploy its instructors directly to Ukraine. They are expected to arrive at Ukrainian military academies and other training institutions, but only after the war ends.
Kallas added that, alongside this, the EU’s civilian mission could strengthen Ukraine’s resilience against Russian hybrid attacks.
Notably, on August 29, the European Union outlined how it will participate in security guarantees for Ukraine. This includes training and civilian missions, as well as the role of neutral countries.
Security guarantees for Ukraine
Coalition of the Willing, led by London and Paris together with the US, is working on creating security guarantees for Ukraine. The goal is to ensure a stable peace in the country after a ceasefire and make it long-lasting.
On August 25, US President Donald Trump publicly assured that Europe would provide significant guarantees, and the US would stand by these commitments.
For its part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined three key blocks of security guarantees for Ukraine: maintaining the army, cooperating with NATO countries, and sanctions against Russia. At the same time, Ukraine demands formally documented guarantees from Europe and the US, stating that it will not accept another Budapest Memorandum.
