EU to Train 15,000 Ukrainian Soldiers, Allocate €25 Million for Demining

, 2 February 2023, 12:44

The European Union is going to train 15,000 more Ukrainian soldiers and allocate €25 million for clearing the territory of Ukraine from explosive devices.

Josep Borrell, Chief of EU diplomacy, announced the EU's decision to train 15,000 more Ukrainian soldiers and allocate €25 million for demining Ukraine after a meeting with Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, on 2 February.

"Russia brought war back to Europe, but Ukraine keeps fighting back. Glad to announce to PM Denys Shmyhal that EU Military Assistance Mission EUMAM will train additional 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers, taking the total number of EUMAM trained personnel to 30,000," said Borrell.

Special training will include technical instruction for new equipment, including Leopard 2 tanks.

In addition, Borrell said that the EU will allocate €25 million to support demining efforts in the endangered areas. "Protecting civilians and their livelihood is a priority," the head of European diplomacy said.

"The EU will launch a €25 million humanitarian demining program. This is an important component of our recovery, which will allow us to return normal life to the hromadas [an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories – ed.] liberated from Russian terrorists," said Denys Shmyhal, as quoted by the Prime Minister's press service.

The European Union is expected to announce an additional €400 million aid package to Ukraine to support the reform process.

On 2 February, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and 15 members of the European Commission arrived in the city of Kyiv for consultations with the Ukrainian government.

On 3 February, the EU-Ukraine summit will take place in Kyiv.

See also: Seven Steps for Ukraine's EU Future. How Does Kyiv Implement Brussels' Checklist?

War with Russia