Luxembourg, Oct 17, (dpa/GNA) – European Union foreign ministers are to sign off a “powerful training mission” for Ukraine, the bloc’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said on Monday in Luxembourg.
Militaries in the EU, can “bring together all their capacities”, and provide much more value than working alone, Borrell said ahead of the meeting of foreign ministers, explaining the mission’s value.
EU foreign ministers are meeting, after another Russian missile and drone attack rocked Kiev on Monday morning, to decide on the latest support measures for Ukraine.
The latest attacks on Kiev “make clear the brutality with which this war is continuing,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, said on her arrival, stressing the importance of supporting the country.
The mission for Ukraine is potentially “the biggest mission of the EU ever,” Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said, adding that Denmark is to participate in an EU defence project for the first time.
Denmark recently overturned a special EU defence opt-out, to join the bloc’s defence cooperation in a referendum, against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ireland wants to help Ukraine train in managing explosives and demining work, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said, noting previous EU training missions to Mali to provide similar assistance.
Around 15,000 soldiers from the Ukrainian armed forces are to be trained in Europe, Baerbock said.
First training programmes are to begin in mid-November, a senior EU official said. A total of 12,000 Ukrainian soldiers, including recruits, as well as special training for 2,800 other soldiers is to take place.
EU foreign ministers already backed a monitoring mission for the border region, between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as part of the bloc’s diplomatic efforts to restore peace to the region.
Ministers are also set to agree on another €500 million ($486.9 million) in military assistance, bringing the total amount allocated since the beginning of Russia’s invasion in February to €3.1 billion.
Next to Russia’s war on Ukraine, ministers are also to discuss how to respond to the Iranian regime’s crackdown on protestors, and are set to impose more sanctions.
The bloc’s relations with China are also to be addressed on Monday before the topic will be under discussion at an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels later this week.
GNA