EU Makes Historic EUMAM Move, Establishing Military Mission Presence Inside Ukraine

European Union member states agreed on Monday, November 9, to extend the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine to November 15, 2028, according to the Kyiv Post. The programme will be backed with nearly €300 million, equivalent to $335 million, in fresh funding. For the first time since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war, Brussels will set up a presence inside Ukraine, establishing a coordination cell in Kyiv focused on battlefield experience and military education. According to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the EU secured full funding to modernize two training centers in Ukraine.

Launched in 2022 at Kyiv's request, the mission has so far trained over 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers. Previously, training only took place on EU soil, mostly in Poland and Germany, which host the mission's two main training commands. Experience that Ukraine's Defense Forces have gained in direct combat will now play a larger role in the curriculum, allowing EU members to adjust their programs as Ukraine's needs change. Kallas noted that a contribution from the Netherlands closed financing gaps, while support from Germany, Ireland, Denmark, and Luxembourg will allow work on both centers to proceed.

According to the EU Council, EUMAM will continue working with non-EU allies including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Norway. Cooperation will also continue with the Coalition of the Willing and NATO's Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine command. The initial mandate launched on October 17, 2022, came with a budget of roughly €107 million, or $119 million, and an initial goal of training 15,000 Ukrainian military personnel. When the mandate was last renewed in November 2024, the bloc committed nearly €409 million, or $457 million, over the next two years when around 63,000 soldiers had been trained. EUMAM is paid for through the European Peace Facility, a fund that sits outside the bloc's regular budget.