MoD decision on Ukraine army training in March
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
03.03.2015 13:44
The Ministry of Defence is to make a final decision on the sending of Polish army instructors to Ukraine by mid-March, General Bogusław Pacek told Polish Radio, Tuesday.
Wikipedia US Army Photo
The comment comes as Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak announced at the end of February that Poland is “preparing a mission under the auspices of NATO for the training of [Ukrainian] non-commissioned officers”.
The training mission will be part of NATO’s Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP), which aims to develop and reform armed forces of NATO’s so-called ‘partner countries’, including Ukraine.
Raising the question over whether the training exercises will take place in Poland or Ukraine, General Pacek said that it “would be more benificial cost-wise to send five [Polish] officers to Ukraine than [for them] to send 100 soldiers here”.
At present, Canada, the USA and Poland are taking part in the DEEP Ukraine mission, with the Czech Republic and Lithuania also deliberating their participation. (jb)