European Union (EU) countries will train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers by 2023, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced Tuesday, as the army launched a counter-offensive to liberate Russian-held territories.
“In 2023, the EU military assistance mission to Ukraine aims to train 30,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including soldiers from the Territorial Forces”the ministry said in a statement published on the social network Telegram.
“The strategic goal is to strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for the effective conduct of operations, for the protection of sovereignty, for the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and for the protection of civilians”advanced.
The announcement comes on the same day that the European Commission (EC) proposed a reserve of €50 billion to support Ukraine’s recovery, €15 billion for migration management and €10 billion for ‘green’ and technology investments.
“We are in a very different world than in 2020, when the multiannual EU budget was negotiated”explained the President of the European Executive, Ursula von der Leyen, this Tuesday at a press conference in Brussels.
These are the priorities of the Community executive in the EU’s long-term budget proposal, up to 2027, foreseen “a financial reserve of 50 billion euros for the next four years, including loans and grants” for the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war.
“The reserve will provide our partners in Ukraine with a flexible perspective and predictability and should also encourage other donors to take a step forward”added Ursula von der Leyen.
The head of the European executive also noted that the financial support will be allocated “according to the evolution of the situation on the ground”.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has so far led to the flight of more than 14.7 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than 8.2 million to European countries – according to the latest data from the UN, which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and impose political obligations on Russia. and economic sanctions.
Source: DN
