The European Union will establish a mission to train around 15,000 Ukrainian troops and donate another 500 million euros ($485 million) in aid to support Kyiv against Moscow.
The supranational bloc has announced it will send another €500 million, of which €490 million is earmarked for the purchase of military equipment, under its so-called European Peace Facility (EPF) fund — bringing total donations to Ukraine via this route to €3.1 billion.
Furthermore, it has approved the establishment of the EU Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine), which will be funded to the tune of €106.7 million over an initial two-year period and train some 15,000 Ukrainian troops, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
“Today we step up our support to Ukraine to defend itself from Russia’s illegal aggression,” said Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, of the military mission, which will train Ukrainian forces mainly in Germany and Poland.
“The EU Military Assistance Mission will train the Ukrainian Armed Forces so they can continue their courageous fight,” Borrell added.
“EUMAM is not just a training mission, it is clear proof that the EU will stand by Ukraine for as long as is needed,”
Speaking of the new tranche of European Peace Facility assistance, Borrell said it was “yet another proof that we remain steadfast in our support to the Ukrainian armed forces to defend the country against the escalating illegal aggression.”
Speaking of the recent wave of cruise missile and drone attacks on, in particular, Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party foreign minister turned European technocrat said that “Russia’s latest indiscriminate attacks on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure are another proof of Russia’s complete disrespect for human rights and international law.”
“The EU will continue supporting Ukraine as long as it takes and as long as is needed,” he claimed.
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