Ukraine training

An Australian soldier instructs a Ukrainian recruit on how to search a suspected boobytrapped casualty during the first rotation of Operation Kudu in the United Kingdom (UK MoD)

BELFAST — The European Union (EU) has announced member states will train an additional 15,000 Ukrainian armed forces personnel, bringing the bloc’s overall commitment to 30,000, as it looks ahead to signing off on a tenth Russian sanctions package within weeks.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a European and Ukraine summit in Kyiv on Thursday that the EU plans on approving the new sanctions by Feb. 24, one year after Russia’s invasion started.

“Russia is paying a heavy price as our sanctions are eroding its economy, throwing it back by a generation,” she explained. “The price cap on crude oil already costs Russia around 160 million euros ($174 million USD) a day and we will keep on turning up the pressure further.”

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An additional price cap on Russian “petroleum products’ will be introduced by the EU as part of a wider effort by G7 partners, added von der Leyen. EU member states have not reached agreement on the new oil price cap, reported the Guardian newspaper, revealing however that a cap of $100 a barrel for “premium” petroleum has been proposed.

The move to train 15,000 more Ukrainian forces was separately announced by European Commission Vice President Josep Borrell during a Thursday meeting in Kyiv with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

The training plan falls under the EU Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM), with Borrel confirming in a social media post that Ukraine soldiers are to be trained on “new equipment” like Leopard 2 main battle tanks, first pledged by Germany.

New funding for a seventh EU military aid package, sitting under the European Peace Facility (EPP) initiative, of €500 million ($543 million USD), was also approved by the European Council, alongside a new €45 million ($49 million USD) “assistance measure” to specifically support the training effort. Through the EPF, the EU has so far contributed €3.6 billion ($3.9 billion) to Ukraine.

“With today’s decision, the EU is stepping up its support to Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and protect the civilian population against the ongoing Russian war of aggression,” said the European Council in a Feb. 2 statement. “The aim of the new assistance measure supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine trained under EUMAM Ukraine is to provide necessary non-lethal equipment and supplies as well as services to back the training activities.”

The training of Ukrainian personnel for a period of two years was first decided by the European Council in October 2022.

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Von der Leyen also said that a first tranche of “financial assistance” from a €18 billion loan agreement, signed between the EU and Ukraine in January 2023, had been delivered to Ukraine two weeks ago.

Since the war in Eastern Europe first started, the EU has provided Kyiv with “almost €50 billion” in military, economic and humanitarian support, according to von der Leyen.

Though Ukraine hopes to get European Union membership on a fast track basis, von der Leyen suggested the body is suggesting a slower pace.

The bloc proposed Ukraine “join key European programs,” said von der Leyen, without elaborating on the projects specifically. The initiatives “will give Ukraine benefits close to those of EU membership in many areas.”

EU membership would allow Ukraine entry to the European single market that entitle it to enjoy the benefits of free movement of goods, services and capital, with the other 27 member states.

Discussing the EU application, first made by Ukraine following invasion in February 2022, von der Leyen said that Ukraine had made “impressive progress” in responding to meet the “seven steps from the Commission’s Opinion.”

Those steps include judicial reform to pass legislation on a selection procedure for Constitutional Court of Ukraine judges, vetting candidates for the High Council of Justice, the tightening of corruption regulations, changes to anti-money laundering legislation and implementation of an Anti-Oligarch law.