EU seeks to train more Ukrainian soldiers, but not in Ukraine

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Union wants to train around 75,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of the year, the bloc´s foreign policy chief said on Friday, but not on Ukrainian soil.

The EU already set a goal of training around 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers this year, but with fierce fighting continuing in the war-torn country, the bloc wanted to do more.

“Today, the ministers agreed on raising the target to 75,000, adding 15,000 more by the end of the year. This is also a good news,” Borrell told reporters in Brussels after a meeting of EU defence ministers.

“The training has to be shortened and adapted to the Ukrainian needs,” he said, adding that a “small” coordination centre could be established in Kyiv.

But providing training to soldiers in Ukraine itself is a contentious issue.

Several countries, including Estonia, France and Sweden, support training soldiers in Ukraine, but others such as Hungary, are reluctant to have any European military presence in Ukraine, even instructors, an EU diplomat said.

France shocked its allies earlier this year when President Emmanuel Macron said he did not rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine, although he acknowledged that there was no consensus on taking such action.