The key facts

  • The EU Council has for the first time decided to station its military mission for training Ukrainian servicemen on Ukrainian territory
  • Previously, EUMAM's activities were carried out only on the territory of EU countries
  • The composition of the personnel and the degree of participation by EU member states' militaries have not yet been disclosed

EU Council decision

For the first time, the European Union has decided to station its military mission for training Ukrainian servicemen directly on Ukrainian territory. 'The Council has decided to ensure the presence of the mission in Ukraine,' the Council of the European Union stated, as quoted by Gazeta.Ru citing RIA Novosti. The mission will operate in coordination with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and international partners.

What is changing and what remains uncertain

The key change is the previous state of affairs: Brussels had earlier stated that it ruled out moving the mission's activities onto Ukrainian territory, and its work was carried out only in EU countries. Now the presence of EUMAM in Ukraine is provided for by the Council's decision, but the composition of the personnel being deployed, including the degree of participation by EU member states' militaries, has not yet been specified. According to the publication, the Russian side opposes the deployment of any Western military personnel on Ukrainian territory and believes that NATO countries are directly involved in the conflict, including through training personnel for the Ukrainian army. Earlier, the European Council allocated almost 300 million euros for the training of Ukrainian military personnel.