Borrell said Tuesday after informal deliberations by EU defense ministers in Prague that the 27 member countries had agreed in principle to “set the parameters for an EU military mission to Ukraine.” For example, Ukrainian soldiers have to be trained in Western weapons, such as certain types of tanks, since these differ greatly from those previously used in Ukraine.
According to Borrell, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov sent a list of specific training requests to the EU states via video conference. The EU must “react quickly and ambitiously,” demanded Borrell. “It would be better to pool the capabilities of the member states,” said the Spaniard. As an example, he cited protection against NBC weapons.
Austria and Luxembourg with doubts
So far, the EU countries have supported Ukraine bilaterally in the fight against Russia. The Bundeswehr, for example, is training Ukrainian soldiers in air defense and artillery in Germany. On the fringes of the meeting, countries such as Austria and Luxembourg had expressed doubts about the added value of a joint EU mission. A decision would require unanimity.
Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova was less specific. As incumbent EU Council President, she said member countries want to provide “more training and equipment” for Ukraine. Among other things, she referred to the 15 tanks that Germany wants to make available to the Czech Republic as part of a ring exchange.
Source: Nachrichten
