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EU mission to train military in Ukraine to be extended by two years, Borrell says

• 1 min read
EU mission to train military in Ukraine to be extended by two years, Borrell says
EU's Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell addresses media during a press conference in Kyiv on Feb. 7, 2024. (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images)

On Oct. 14, EU foreign ministers discussed extending the European Union Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM), which trains Ukrainian military forces.

Josep Borrell, the European Union’s top diplomat, emphasized the immense pressure on Ukraine's military, stating that "we must provide them with more capabilities and strengthen our training mission."

He confirmed plans to extend the EUMAM mandate for another two years, pending approval from the EU Council.

EUMAM, established in 2022, conducts training primarily in Poland and Germany.

Borrell promised to visit Ukraine once a final decision is made.

He also mentioned progress in unblocking frozen European Peace Facility funds, which reimburse EU countries for military aid to Ukraine.

Hungary, broadly seen as the most Kremlin-proximate EU member, has repeatedly obstructed aid for Ukraine on account that it "prolongs" and "escalates" the ongoing war. These views have been often echoed in Slovakia since Ukraine-skeptic Prime Minister Robert Fico took office last fall.

A proposed reform of the European Peace Facility (EPF) would make financial contributions voluntary, aiming to bypass Hungary's veto on military aid to Ukraine, which has caused a 6.5 billion euro ($7 billion) backlog.

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Sonya Bandouil

North American news editor

Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC. Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.

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The latest announcement comes as Kyiv experienced widespread power outages on Oct. 8 following a Russian attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Over 3 million residents in the capital lost power in what officials described as "an attack on one of the energy facilities important for the city of Kyiv."

The railway operator initially reported that the passenger train's driver suffered a leg injury and four passengers required medical attention. The crew of the electric locomotive was unharmed.

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