Poland's Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau said after the meeting of EU foreign minister in Brussels that the bloc's training mission Ukrainian soldiers would be based in Poland and Germany, as well as in any other country ready to take this responsibility upon itself. "A number of countries, including some bigger ones, would trade their armed forces with those of Ukraine," Rau added.
The European Union agreed in October to set up the Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine), which aims to boost the country's military capability.
The training, conducted on EU territory, will include ongoing efforts by several member states to prepare Ukrainian troops for the use of Western weapons sent to Kyiv.
Western countries have been supplying Ukraine with weapons and military equipment since Russia's invasion in February, depleting their own inventories along the way.
EUMAM Ukraine will be headquartered in Brussels with operational command centres in Poland and Germany. Most training will take place in Poland. Polish General Piotr Trytek has been appointed to lead the mission.
EU foreign and defence ministers, at their respective meetings on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels, formally launched the bloc's military assistance mission to Ukraine which aims to train some 15,000 Ukrainian troops in total.
Poland's Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau said after the meeting that EU ministers managed to create a legal formula needed for the mission to operate.
"Now we know for certain that the mission will function in Poland and Germany, as well as in any other country ready to take this responsibility upon itself," he said.
"If they don't, then we shall host instructors from the countries which decide not to launch such missions. Of course, we will train our Ukrainian guests with the use of our own forces and those of other EU countries," Rau added.
Asked when the mission would start, the minister replied: "We need to stay optimistic. Besides, we've been already providing such training support to Ukraine. It's not the right time to discuss details. We are well prepared for that, it's just a question of changing the formula and carrying on".
"We need to prepare the Ukranians to fight, but it appears they have been very well prepared, including last week. They have very professional armed forces if we look at Europe today. A number of countries, including some bigger ones, would trade their armed forces with those of Ukraine," minister Rau said.
Meanwhile, Germany said it would establish a maintenance hub in Slovakia to service and repair weapons it has delivered to Kyiv.
"We have reached agreement, and work can start immediately so that all the equipment which has been supplied can be repaired after coming out of battle," Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht told reporters in Brussels.
Lambrecht added Berlin was planning to train some 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers in Germany as part of an EU training mission by June.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP, Reuters