Europe is struggling to put even 25,000 troops on ground for mission in Ukraine – The Times
It will be difficult for Europe to raise 25,000 troops to participate in a "deterrence" force in Ukraine. This is due to the understaffing of the army and lack of funding.
This is reported by The Times, Censor.NET informs.
The publication has gained access to conversations between European defence ministers and military leaders, during which they discussed plans to create a "Coalition of the Willing" force.
How many troops are ready to be sent to Ukraine
For example, the Chief of Defence Staff of the United Kingdom, Admiral Tony Radakin, called for a contingent of about 64,000 troops. However, London is ready to provide up to 10,000 people.
At subsequent meetings, European defence ministers said there was "no chance" of reaching this number. Even 25,000 will be extremely difficult to raise, the newspaper writes.
It is known that Britain and France are inclined to send instructors and training units to western Ukraine rather than send a full-fledged multinational ground contingent.
"The main focus of the security commitments to Ukraine will be on rebuilding and rearming the Kyiv army, providing air and sea defence," the article says.
At a meeting on 10 April, the ministers expressed concern about London's ambitions. For example, Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Šakalienė said:
Russia has 800,000 troops. If we can't even raise 64,000, then we are really weak
The allies also believe that up to 256,000 troops will be needed to support the 64,000-strong contingent, including rotation.
The publication notes that Estonia and Finland fear a weakening of their own defences. Poland, Spain and Italy have refused to send soldiers, while Germany and Finland are against it, although Germany does not rule out participation completely.
Problems of the British Army
The source said that the British army is facing a reduction in numbers, a shortage of artillery, and logistical problems. In particular, it is dependent on trucks and equipment from the United States.
What will be instead of the contingent
The UK and France will deploy military instructors in western Ukraine. They will not be guarding facilities or conducting combat operations. The emphasis will be on training the Ukrainian military and strategic planning in case the situation escalates.
