European Union defence ministers will meet to discuss options to set up a military training mission for Ukrainian forces at an August 29-30 meeting in Prague, the bloc’s foreign policy chief has said.
“As EU, we have to see what else we can do in terms of support to Ukraine and increasing the cost of this war for Russia,” Josep Borrell said in a blog to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day, six months after Russia invaded the country.
“We will discuss this … in Prague next week, including on the issue of visas for Russian citizens and a possible EU training mission for Ukrainian armed forces.”
Borrell referred to the idea of an EU military training programme at a conference in Spain on Monday, explaining that it would not be based in Ukraine, but in neighbouring countries. The 27-nation bloc has launched more than 30 missions and operations during the past 20 years aimed at peacekeeping, conflict prevention and strengthening international security outside its borders.
