EU and Ukraine discuss military training and cyber threats | WGN 720 radio

Brussels (AP) – The European Union is considering providing Ukraine with a military training mission amid protracted tensions between Russia and the former Soviet Republic, officials said on Monday.

The EU already sent a fact-finding mission to Ukraine last month in response to a request from Ukraine for support for “professional military education”.

The subject will be discussed at a summit scheduled in Kiev on Tuesday, officials said on condition of anonymity, in line with EU practice.

The results of the mission have not yet been analyzed to define how the blocks work best and what the support looks like.

One official said the EU Political and Security Committee, which is responsible for Brock’s common foreign and security policy, will return to the matter in November.

“What we are considering at this point is to explore the possibility of broader support for what I call Ukrainian resilience, which is clearly included in the field of professional military education.” A related person.

This summer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for close ties between his country and NATO and the EU. Ukraine merged with Crimea in 2014 and has since been trapped in a separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine and a fierce standoff with Russia, which has spurred Kiev’s efforts to strengthen the support among western nations. Was done.

The EU is imposing economic sanctions on Russia, targeting several individuals and groups with restrictions in response to the annexation of Crimea and what it calls “the intentional destabilization of Ukraine”.

Annexation in eastern Ukraine and rebel support from Moscow have killed more than 14,000 people in the battle between separatists and Ukrainian troops since 2014, plunging relations with western Russia into the hollow of the post-cold war. I did.

Tensions have risen further this year after Russia increased the number of its troops near the Ukrainian border, including in Crimea, sparking international anger.

At the summit, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will reiterate the EU’s “unwavering” commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, officials said. . Declared. Zelenskyy represents Ukraine during the talks.

They will also discuss disinformation and cybersecurity with Ukrainian stakeholders. The two sides have already launched what is called the cyber-dialogue, and next year there will be a second round of discussion on this topic.

“What we are trying to achieve is to implement mechanisms to strengthen and deepen cooperation between cybersecurity agencies almost every day,” officials said.

Further talks at the summit will focus on progress made since the two sides signed a groundbreaking coalition agreement in 2014 governing free trade and visa-free travel between the two countries.

The EU recognizes Kyiv’s efforts to continue promoting reforms, including the rule of law and justice, and the creation of effective anti-corruption mechanisms, and bloc officials are ensuring that change is achieved. irreversible. It is expected to encourage further engagement.

Other topics include cooperation to deal with the impacts of climate change, aviation, energy and the COVID-19 pandemic.