At least 1,500 soldiers from the United Kingdom, France and Germany are set to train in Poland in November for a scenario of deploying a European contingent to Ukraine after a possible ceasefire with Russia, the British daily “The Times” reported.
According to “The Times”, cited among others by Interia and Ukrainian media, the exercises are to take place in November. The paper writes that troops will practise delivering fuel, food and other essential supplies. Particular emphasis is to be placed on the logistical coordination of allied forces, a task that would be crucial when deploying forces to Ukrainian territory.
Who will take part
The Ukrainian portal UNN, citing “The Times”, writes that alongside British, French and German soldiers, Polish troops will also take part in the exercises. The Ukrainian portal Mezha, also citing media reports, says that a source in the British Ministry of Defence told the paper that during the training “multinational forces will be together in one territory.” According to “The Times”, the British government confirmed the exercises. The portal United24 Media further writes that the British defence secretary confirmed the participation of thousands of soldiers.
Goal: deterrence and preparation
The scenario assumes the deployment of forces after a ceasefire in Russia’s war with Ukraine. According to “The Times”, the exercises are also meant to serve as a deterrent against a possible spread of Russian aggression beyond Ukraine. United24 Media links the drills to the “coalition of the willing” initiative, which is working on security guarantees for Kyiv once fighting ends. Ukrainian media stress that no decision on the mission itself has been taken – these are exercises, not the start of a troop deployment.
Earlier, London and Washington spoke about security guarantees for Ukraine outside NATO – we wrote about this in our article on the American offer of NATO-style security guarantees.
What the reports leave out
As of publication, we have not found any statement on this matter from the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MON) or NATO. The name of the exercises, the location (training grounds) and exact dates have not been disclosed. It is also unclear whether the drills will be conducted under a NATO format or as a coalition of states.
What it means
If the reports are confirmed, multinational units from Western European countries will appear in Poland in November, and the exercises will focus on the transport and supply of troops – areas in which Poland, as a transit country, is of key importance. Details – locations and dates, on which any disruptions to roads and rail depend – should be provided by the Polish armed forces or the MON.
