The EU Extends Its Mission To Train Ukrainian Military Personnel By Two Years
- 10.11.2026, 10:45
More than 100,000 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers have already been trained as part of EUMAM.
The Council of the European Union has decided to extend the mandate of the EU Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM) for another two years, until November 15, 2028, with nearly 300 million euros allocated from the budget for this period. A mission office will also be established in Ukraine to facilitate better coordination with Ukrainian authorities and the military. This is stated in press release from the Council of the EU.
The scope of the mission will be expanded to focus on lessons learned from combat operations and on strengthening military training to support Ukraine’s defense capabilities. In addition, EUMAM will continue to cooperate with partner countries outside the European Union, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Norway, as well as with the international “Coalition of the Willing” and NATO.
EUMAM was established in October 2022 to help strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities so that the country can defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as protect its civilian population from Russia’s armed aggression. Since its establishment in October 2022, the mission has trained more than 100,000 Ukrainian military personnel on the territory of EU countries at Kyiv’s request.
The EU is funding the strengthening of Ukraine’s defense capabilities
In late September, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that EU countries had agreed to unblock 6.6 billion euros from the European Peace Fund (EPF), the allocation of which Hungary had vetoed since 2023. Of this amount, 4.7 billion euros will be used to reimburse EU countries for the cost of weapons and ammunition they have already provided to Ukraine, 1 billion euros will go toward the joint procurement of new weapons, and 900 million euros will be used to fund EUMAM.
On November 5, the European Commission disbursed 4.36 billion euros to Kyiv as part of the Ukraine Support Loan program. Of that amount, 658 million euros were allocated for Ukraine’s defense needs.
The first “Coalition of the Willing” exercises are taking place in Poland
On November 9, the first joint military exercises of the “Coalition of the Willing” countries, led by France and the United Kingdom, began on Polish territory. Approximately 2,800 military personnel from 11 countries, including Germany, are participating. The goal of the exercises is to test mechanisms for ensuring Ukraine’s long-term security after the war ends. The exercises will last until November 22.