EU preps a military training program for Ukrainian Forces

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell announced a major training program for Ukrainian forces in neighboring countries.

Borrell said this on Monday, August 22, at a press conference in the Spanish city of Santander.

“It seems reasonable that a war that is lasting and looks set to last requires an effort not only in terms of supplies of material. This is what is being discussed among the member states and will be discussed politically next week,” he said.

Borrell said the training program details will be discussed next week, after the meeting of EU defense ministers in Prague, which starts next Monday. According to him, such a mission will not be stationed directly in Ukraine, but in a neighboring country.

“Of course, it would be a big mission, I think so. Any mission has to be up to the level of the conflict,” said the EU’s top diplomat, recalling that some states are already helping the Ukrainian military in training.

In June, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson offered Volodymyr Zelensky a major training program for Ukrainian servicemen in the United Kingdom.

The British Prime Minister specified that the United Kingdom military could train up to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers every 120 days.

Finland, Sweden, Canada, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and New Zealand also announced their participation in the training of the Ukrainian servicemen.

It is worth noting that in order to train the Ukrainian servicemen, the European Union will need to purchase Soviet-era small arms or analogues and equipment.

The British Ministry of Defense found a Chinese Type 56 assault rifle and a Yugoslav Zastava M70 assault rifle for the training of Ukrainians.

Presumably, the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain received a batch of Chinese assault rifles confiscated in the Middle East, although they can also be found on the arms market and in some European countries of the Type 56-2.

Britain also donated clothing and equipment to support Ukrainian soldiers.