Ukrainian troops could be deployed to defend EU’s eastern borders against Russia - EU Commissioner
Photo: Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defense (Getty Images)
Ukrainian soldiers could be deployed to help defend the European Union against Russia, but this would only be possible after a peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow, states EU Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius, according to Politico.
"It would be good that a battle-tested Ukraine army, after peace has been established in Ukraine, would be ready to be present in all the countries of our frontier region, starting from the Baltic region and in Lithuania, next to German brigade and the rotating US battalions," Kubilius said.
He also clarified that any deployment of Ukrainian troops would not affect Germany’s sending of an armored brigade to Lithuania, the presence of US forces in the region, or NATO’s collective defense provision under Article 5.
"We Lithuanians, we learned in our history that it’s better to have multiple guarantees for your security," he added, emphasizing that NATO’s collective defense provision should be reinforced by EU security initiatives "with a clear mechanism how they will be implemented."
Politico notes that sending Ukrainian troops to help defend EU borders is currently a very distant prospect, as Russian forces continue their offensive in eastern Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin shows no willingness to compromise to end the war.
Ukraine to assist Lithuania in air defense
Amid Russian provocations violating the airspace of European Union countries, NATO’s eastern flank nations have begun turning to Ukraine to gain experience in neutralizing aerial threats.
In particular, Lithuania’s airspace was recently breached by a Russian strike drone, the Gerbera.
Following talks with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will certainly help Lithuania address challenges related to air defense.
