Ukrainian soldiers: Bundeswehr begins training mission

Since 2014, the US, UK and Canada have been training Ukrainian soldiers on heavy weapons. Now the EU is following suit with a similar training mission. The Bundeswehr wants to start the training mission immediately.

The decision is considered a milestone – never before has the European Union provided such intensive military aid as it is now providing to Ukraine. Around 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers are to be trained by the Europeans. The EU foreign ministers gave the green light for this on Monday.

Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has now announced that the Bundeswehr will start the training mission immediately: “We will make a significant contribution to training Ukrainian soldiers in Germany.” The plan is to train 5,000 soldiers in a wide variety of skills by next June.

Borrell speaks of record time

The training is to take place in Germany and also in Poland. The minister did not want to say which bases are involved, citing security reasons. Trainers from other EU member states are also to be used. The Europeans are doing this together, Lambrecht emphasized. “We will train at a wide variety of locations in Germany,” she said. It could start immediately.

The Ukrainian soldiers, who have long been experienced in the war, are primarily to learn from the Bundeswehr how to use the ultra-modern and sometimes complicated weapon systems that Germany supplies. Among other things, this involves operating the new air defense system called IRIS-T. One system has already gone to Ukraine, and three more are to follow.

The training mission was set up in record time, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, also praising himself. “It wasn’t even three months ago that I made the suggestion.” That was in August. Many were still skeptical at the time. “And now, three months later, the training mission is being implemented.”

NATO chief dampens self-praise

What is a record pace for the Europeans looks a little different from the point of view of the NATO leadership. It was NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who dampened the EU chief diplomat’s self-praise a bit. The United States, Britain and Canada have been training Ukrainian soldiers since 2014, Stoltenberg recalled. In this respect it is good that the EU is doing this now, but it is also about time.

Stoltenberg also warned against misjudging Russian retreats. “At the same time, it is important that we do not make the mistake of underestimating the capabilities of the Russian army,” said the NATO Secretary General, referring to the brutality of Russian armed forces against the civilian population in eastern Ukraine.