United to win: Estonia proposes boosting Ukrainian soldier training in EU to 100,000 troops

The number of Ukrainian military personnel trained in the European EUMAM mission should be increased to 100,000.

According to ERR, the Minister of Defense of Estonia, Hanno Pevkur, stated this.

As the head of the Estonian Defense Ministry recalled, the European Union promised to increase training in EUMAM from 40 to 60 thousand people and expressed hope that this will be done.

However, Pevkur is sure this is not enough due to the increasing pressure of the Russian army.

As the minister noted, it is necessary to "move to the number of missions of 100,000 Ukrainian service members."

Pevkur also stated that the European Union's task is not to negotiate and discuss what Putin wants but to help Ukraine and provide everything necessary for victory. According to him, the partners should allow Ukraine's armed forces to use Western weapons, including for strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation.

"Ukraine has its own drones that hit targets in the enemy's deep rear, more than a thousand kilometers from the front line. I, of course, sincerely hope that all the countries that assist will also give their permission.

It is not normal that Russia strikes Ukraine from a long distance, and Ukrainians are forced to fight with one hand tied behind their backs," the head of the defense ministry emphasized.

According to the Minister of Defense of Estonia, the Russian Federation uses every opportunity to call any arms supply to Ukraine an escalation.

"There was a time when everyone said that sending tanks is an escalation. It turned out that this was not the case. The transfer of Storm Shadow or Scalp and the transfer of F-16s is an escalation, but it is not so either.

Russia, of course, uses every opportunity to call new arms deliveries an escalation. However, this is not the case. This helps Ukraine fight for its country and people," Pevkur said.

On May 28, the defense ministers of the EU countries will meet in Brussels to discuss the EU's support for Ukraine and summarize the results of various current military initiatives.

For reference:

In October 2022, the EU Council of Foreign Ministers, at a meeting in Luxembourg, formally decided to launch an EU Military Training Mission to assist Ukraine's armed forces.

EUMAM Ukraine will operate on the territory of several European states. Its operational headquarters, which will coordinate the mission's activities at the strategic level, will be located on the premises of the European External Action Service in Brussels.

The mission's mandate is designed for two years, and the funding is 106.7 million euros. The mission will be open to the participation of third countries.

At the beginning of November 2023, the Council of the European Union decided to provide additional funding for training service personnel of Ukraine's armed forces. The financing will increase by 194 million euros to 255 million euros in total.

It is worth reminding that about 40,000 Ukrainian military personnel have already been trained in European countries as part of the EUMAM mission.

In addition, as part of the EU mission to provide military aid to Ukraine, 60,000 Ukrainian service members will undergo training on the territory of the European Union member states by the end of the summer of this year.

Currently, 24 EU countries and Norway participate in training the Ukrainian military within EUMAM Ukraine. This is the largest mission in the EU's history.

Overall, as of November 21, 2023, over 100,000 service members from Ukraine's armed forces have undergone rigorous training at training facilities in over 30 allied nations.