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Brussels – Slovenian military instructors have so far trained around 800 Ukrainian soldiers as part of the European mission, said State Secretary at the Slovenian Ministry of Defense Damir Črnčec after an informal meeting of EU defense ministers. In light of discussions on the possibility of training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine, he stated that he does not currently see the need for it.
According to the government decision, up to 30 Slovenian instructors can operate in the mission, but their actual number varies, the State Secretary added. He also mentioned that based on past experiences, the ministry does not see the need to increase the number set in the government decision.
In light of discussions on the possibility of training Ukrainian soldiers in their home country, he stated that he does not see the need for it. “I think it is most important at this moment to continue training members of the Ukrainian army and to continue doing so in EU member states as close to Ukraine as possible, which is also their wish,” he said.
Within the existing mandate, the Slovenian Army will carry out its tasks as long as the mission lasts, the State Secretary at the Slovenian Ministry of Defense said. Today, they discussed a two-year extension of the mission, which according to current plans would end in November this year.
As part of the mission, which began in November 2022, the EU has so far trained nearly 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers. At the meeting, they agreed to train an additional 15,000 soldiers by the end of the year, said the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell. At the same time, they agreed that the training would not take place in Ukraine, but as close to the country as possible. (30 August)