In brief
The European Union has decided to establish an official military presence in Ukraine for the first time, expanding its Military Assistance Mission to allow direct coordination with Ukrainian forces. The decision follows a strategic review and comes with a €300 million budget for the extended mandate until 2028. While Russia criticises the move, over 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have already been trained under the mission since 2022.
The European Council announced on November 10 that it will set up a new EU Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) in Ukraine, marking the first time the EU will have an official military presence there. The announcement comes after a strategic review and a decision to extend EUMAM’s mandate until November 15, 2028, with a €300 million budget to support training and coordination.
The Council’s statement said,
"The decision follows the recent strategic review of EUMAM. In this context, the Council also decided to establish a presence in Ukraine to ensure direct and effective coordination with the Ukrainian military authorities, the UAF and like‑minded international partners, thus ensuring that EU training continues to evolve in line with the Ukrainian armed forces’ needs."The document notes the mission was originally launched in 2022 and had previously operated only on European territory.
Since the conflict began, the EU has trained more than 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers. A separate Council statement described EUMAM Ukraine as “a key tool for the EU’s military support to Ukraine, with its core objective of contributing to enhancing the military capacity of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.”
Russia’s foreign‑ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has criticised the EU’s involvement, calling it “recklessly, utterly senselessly, and thoughtlessly, yet actively, getting prepared for a war with Russia.”
By placing EU military officers on Ukrainian soil, the new presence will allow the EU to coordinate more closely with the Ukrainian army and allied forces, potentially speeding up training and operational planning.
This development underscores the EU’s shift from remote support to direct engagement, a move that could strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities and affect regional security dynamics.
