Representatives of the European Union will discuss sending military instructors to Ukraine for the first time, likely next week, reports Welt.
The Ukrainian authorities called on the EU to send instructors to Ukraine in a letter to the EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell on May 31.
According to Welt, EU foreign and defense ministers will discuss the matter for the first time in the middle of next week. This topic will arise on August 27 in the EU's Political and Security Committee (PSC).
France, the Baltic states, Denmark, and Sweden are in favor of sending military instructors to Ukraine, while Austria, Hungary, Germany, Malta, and Slovenia are against it, fearing an escalation of the conflict.
In mid-November, the mandate of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM UKR), which has so far been conducted exclusively in the EU, primarily in Germany and Poland, is due to be extended for two years. If the decision is positive, the mandate may be expanded to include training on the territory of Ukraine in the future.
The first informal debate on this topic has already taken place in Brussels in July.
The basis for next week's discussions will be a confidential document of the European External Action Service. It is entitled “Strategic Review of the EU Training Mission in Ukraine”. The document says that as a result of the May mobilization, Ukraine expects up to 150,000 recruits, and will create ten new infantry brigades.
