Europe has identified sites to train Ukrainian troops inside Ukraine, EU top diplomat says
The EU's top diplomat said that the EU has identified two sites in Ukraine where Europe could train Ukrainian troops, as part of the bloc's contribution to security guarantees for the country under a future peace deal.
"We have been discussing the training of Ukrainian soldiers, also on the soil of Ukraine," Kaja Kallas, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, said in Brussels on Feb. 11 before a meeting of EU defense ministers.
"We have identified two training centers that could be used for that purpose," she added.
The EU has previously aired the idea of training Ukrainian troops as part of a peace settlement, but today's comments mark some of the first concrete details.
Trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. have intensified over the last few months, with discussions potentially resuming on Feb 17–18, subject to Moscow's agreement.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized the American-led talks on Feb. 11 for a third consecutive day, saying that it contradicted the original Alaska plan.
European defense ministers are meeting in Brussels on Feb. 11 to discuss continued support for Ukraine and cooperation in defense innovation, as the EU finalizes a 90 billion euro loan to Kyiv — a significant chunk of which is earmarked for defense spending.
Ukraine's Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov is attending the meeting and expected to address the country's urgent battlefield needs.
