The European Union is considering a training mission for Ukrainian officers due to the "ongoing military activities" of Russia, according to an internal EU document.
With tensions between Kyiv and Moscow running high, some members of the bloc want Brussels to set up an independent training program called the EU Military Advisory and Training Mission Ukraine (EUATM), Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper reported on October 3, citing an EU policy paper it obtained.
"A military mission would underscore the visibility and commitment to the countries of the Eastern Partnership initiative," according to the working document from the European External Action Service, the EU's diplomatic service.
Such a military mission would also "be an expression of solidarity with Ukraine in view of the ongoing military activities of Russia on the borders with Ukraine and in the illegally annexed Crimea," the document said.
In addition to EUATM, the EU's diplomatic service led by top diplomat Josep Borrell is considering three other options to help improve Ukraine's military capabilities, according to the document.
One is to beef up the European Union Advisory Mission Ukraine, which was established in 2014 to help civilian security-sector reform. According to the report, the responsible EU ambassadors recently discussed in the document for the first time forming a political and security committee responsible for foreign and security policy.
The three EU Baltic states are especially pushing for the military training mission, as well as Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. Sweden and Finland have also expressed support.
Those EU members share similar concerns with Ukraine about Russian military drills on their borders, including the Zapad-2021 military exercises in September and a massive Russian troop build-up near Ukraine in April that raised concern in Kyiv and the West over Moscow's intentions.
Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, is seeking closer ties with the West and its militaries to help it fight Kremlin-backed separatists in a seven-year war that has killed more than 13,200 people in the east of the country.
In 2014, Russia occupied and annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, just before the war broke out.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Authorities Seek Answers After Deadly Crash Of Azerbaijani Passenger Jet In Kazakhstan
2North Korean Troops Take Pounding In Kursk As Kim Reportedly Doubles Down
3Russia Moving Military Assets To Africa After Syria Setback
4'So Much Death': Ukrainian Drone Pilot Shares Emotional Account Of Frontline Combat
5Syrian Islamist Rulers Shun The Taliban Governance Model
6Ukraine Hits Kazan Buildings In Latest Display Of Drone Power
7Mystery Photos Shed Light On Romania's 1989 Revolution
8Orban Says Higher NATO Defense Targets Would Cripple The Hungarian Economy
9Iran's Supreme Leader Calls On Syrians To Resist Rebel Government
10Russia Launches Massive Drone Attack As Putin Vows Revenge For Kyiv's Attack On Kazan
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
