Ukraine negotiates new EU training program for strategic reserve brigades
EU military mission aims to train 75,000 Ukrainian troops by 2025, as Defense Minister Umerov negotiates new partnerships for strategic reserve brigade preparation.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has announced that Ukraine is negotiating with European countries to train strategic reserve brigades.
The EU Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM), established in October 2022, has been extended for an additional two years. Plans are to train 75,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of winter 2024/2025. Training primarily occurs in Poland and Germany, where specialized courses cover various military disciplines, including leadership and collective unit training.
“Special attention was given to preparing strategic reserve brigades. We are already negotiating with several European countries on equipping and training Ukrainian units. We expect the EU to play a coordinating role in expediting these agreements,” Umerov wrote on social media following a meeting in Kyiv with EU Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius.
According to the minister, Ukraine aims to provide its military with everything necessary to achieve a just peace. Kyiv seeks to enhance cooperation with each partner next year, building on a detailed analysis of the support received in previous years.
Umerov has also highlighted key areas of focus, including utilizing revenues from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, expanding the EUMAM training mission for Ukrainian troops, and investing in Ukraine’s defense industry to bolster domestic production.
In December 2024, reports revealed that the first unit of the Ukrainian Legion would begin training in Poland by the end of the year. NATO instructors would conduct the training at designated locations.
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