Training of Ukrainian Armed Forces by EU instructors on Ukraine's territory is only a matter of time

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice, speaking to journalists at an evening of support for victims of violence, said that it was only a matter of time before EU instructors would conduct training missions for Ukrainian soldiers on the territory of Ukraine.

Source: Stefanishyna in an interview with Ukrinform

Details: Stefanishyna said that they are discussing with European partners the conduct of exercises for the Ukrainian military. She explained that they see this as an element of equipping Ukrainian brigades so that they are properly manned, trained and equipped. Stefanishyna expressed her opinion that it is only a matter of time before European instructors conduct exercises on the territory of Ukraine.

She said the goal is to train and equip more than a dozen Ukrainian brigades, so it is an absolutely pragmatic solution that they are moving towards.

Background:

• In May 2024, Kyiv asked the EU to conduct some exercises on Ukrainian soil, but there are many sceptics among member states who warn that the bloc could be drawn into a war and question Kyiv's ability to protect training sites from Russian attacks, given the acute shortage of air defence equipment.
• At the end of November, Major General Christian Freuding, Head of the Planning Staff and the Special Task Force for Ukraine at Germany's Federal Ministry of Defence, said that he saw no practical advantages in holding military exercises on the territory of Ukraine.
• The general believes that training in Ukraine is more risky, as the Russians will try to attack any training facilities where NATO troops are present.
• He also noted excellent training facilities in Germany and other European NATO countries, offering much better training conditions. Freuding added that holding the training in Germany or Europe would be a better solution, as it would allow them to be more efficient, invest in instructors, and increase the level of training without worrying about security.

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