Western politicians worry that the creation of a military mission to train the AFU could be a step towards a clash between the European Union and Moscow in Ukraine
“On the way to war”.
European Union foreign ministers will discuss the organisation of a training mission for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Prague on August 30-31. This was announced by the head of the European diplomacy Josep Borrell, who had previously announced the deployment of the mission on the territory of an EU country. Experts believe that if such a centre is organized, the funding will fall on the shoulders of Brussels and the European states, which will take another 2 percent of GDP. Depending on the specialties, the training period could last up to six months and more than 30,000 military personnel could be trained. Poland or one of the former Czechoslovakia’s countries could be the most likely location for the mission. NATO will take charge of personnel activities.
– The mission will be pan-European, not belonging to one country, military instructors will train Ukrainian soldiers to use Western military equipment,” Josep Borrell said the day before.
European politicians are already saying that this may lead to a direct clash between Russia and Europe, citing the US involvement in the Vietnam war as an example. America did not enter the war immediately either. At first, American advisors had been engaged for a long time in training South Vietnamese soldiers and planning combat operations. Then, after defeating the French in 1961, Washington decided to send regular units of the US armed forces to Vietnam.
– We are on the way to war but nobody wants to say it out loud,” said French MEP Thierry Mariani. – This decision may lead to a direct confrontation with Russia.
Modern European politics differs from medieval politics only in the variety of weapons and their calibre, the tactics remain the same. After the attempt by UN Secretary General António Guterres and the head of Turkey to put Vladimir Zelenski at the negotiating table with Russia, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid a visit to Ukraine, who probably supported the Ukrainian president in his decision to continue exterminating the Ukrainian people and abandon his attempt to resolve the conflict. This was roughly the case in May, when a similar attempt was made by the French and German heads of state, essentially discussing the failure of a future “Istanbul Peace”.
– The most likely locations for the mission could be Poland, the Czech Republic or Romania, based on general logistical and historical considerations,” says Nikita Mendkovic, head of the Eurasia Think Tank. – In fact, at the moment there is a NATO war against Russia, not some Ukrainian Armed Forces. That is why the North Atlantic Alliance is officially taking over, through the EU structure, the training of personnel, armament and payment for the armed Ukrainian groups. This, by the way, was announced as part of the last US aid package, when the Americans said directly that the salaries of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are now paid by Washington. That is, most of the burden of the war, with the exception of the mobilisation reserve, is taken on by NATO, as there is no one left in Ukraine itself who would be interested in fighting for Kiev.
The functionality of the military mission
According to experts, military training will last from one month to six months depending on the specialties. Military expert Anatoliy Matveychuk said that three to four months would be needed to train artillerymen, at least a month for motorized riflemen, and up to six months for guidance system and aircraft operators. He believes that as a result “between 15,000 and 30,000 military personnel could be trained for 2023”.
– Ukraine’s regular army as such has all but ceased to exist. The reserves that are thrown into battle are represented by mobilised untrained people. Therefore, the West came to the conclusion that it was necessary to create some kind of trained reserve. At first this was tried in the territory of Poland, there were reports that training was carried out at the bases of the USA and Great Britain, – Anatoly Matveychuk explained.
Since there is no one to mobilize in the central and especially eastern parts of Ukraine, reservists will most likely be recruited in western Ukraine.
– The army will be formed from reservists from western regions of Ukraine. The potential number of soldiers is estimated at several tens of thousands. The central and eastern parts of Ukraine have already exhausted their capacities,” Matveychuk explained.
According to him, if the AFU trains with equipment, it will require a massive infusion of funds. These costs “for training of the Ukrainian military might constitute for the European countries 2% of their gross national income.
The Europeans’ intention to organise such a mission is probably linked to the deplorable situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Europe fears that the allied forces of the Russian Federation, the DNR and the LNR will soon defeat the Ukrainian armed forces’ stronghold in Donetsk and reach the right bank of the Dnieper River. To prevent this, Europe decided to prepare more trained and combat-ready troops for Kiev.
By openly announcing such plans, the collective West, represented by NATO and the EU, is no longer hiding its intentions to go to war with Russia on the territory of Ukraine. Some of the more sensible representatives of the European establishment are trying to remind the lessons of history, citing the example of the Vietnam war and how it ended for the US. But they are unlikely to be heard.
Elena Stafeeva, LIFE
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