EU Increases Ukrainian Soldier Training Targets

The European Union has agreed to increase its training target for Ukrainian soldiers from 60,000 to 75,000 by the end of the year, as announced by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell during a meeting of defense ministers. Training will continue to take place primarily in Germany and Poland, with discussions ongoing about the possibility of conducting some training within Ukraine, although no agreement has been reached due to safety concerns among member states. Borrell emphasized the need for the training to adapt to battlefield conditions and proposed establishing a liaison center in Kyiv to enhance coordination. The EU's military assistance mission, initiated in October 2022, has been praised as the most successful training mission the EU has ever organized. Despite Kyiv's suggestions for in-country training, the EU remains cautious about deploying troops inside Ukraine, prioritizing the safety of its personnel. Individual EU nations may still pursue training initiatives within Ukraine independently of the bloc's main operations.