When the European Union’s foreign ministers gather in Luxembourg on Monday, they are anticipated to agree on a mission to train 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers starting in the next month as well as an additional 500 million euros in funding for armament shipments to Kiev. The ministers are also set to impose more sanctions on Iran in response to Teheran’s most recent crackdown on protestors and to reevaluate the EU’s relations with China, opening the door for a possibly more aggressive posture toward Beijing.
According to two senior EU sources, the military training will begin in the middle of November and will take place on EU soil at two hubs, one in Poland and one in Germany. The instruction of specialised weaponry to Ukrainian forces by a number of EU nations has already begun and will continue. Since the start of the conflict, the European Union has provided Kyiv with financial and, in a first for the organisation, military support.
According to two senior EU sources, the military training will begin in the middle of November and will take place on EU soil at two hubs, one in Poland and one in Germany. The instruction of specialised weaponry to Ukrainian forces by a number of EU nations has already begun and will continue. Since the start of the conflict, the European Union has provided Kyiv with financial and, in a first for the organisation, military support.
The sum allotted for armaments for Kiev will reach over 3 billion euros when the foreign ministers agree to contribute an additional 500 million euros ($486 million) to a fund that reimburses EU member states for weapons transferred to Ukraine. Contrary to past instalments, the extra funds will also be used to pay for the upkeep and repair of Ukraine’s already-delivered weaponry.
