Thousands of European Military Personnel to Conduct Exercises in Poland on Deployment to Ukraine in Case of Peace

Great Britain and France will lead military exercises, the goal of which will be to test the readiness of multinational forces for deployment in Ukraine in case a peace agreement is concluded, writes the BBC.

Almost three thousand military personnel from 12 European countries will participate in the exercises, which will take place this month in neighboring Poland.

Plans to create an international force to ensure Ukraine's security were presented last year as one of the long-term security guarantees proposed by European states.

However, there are still many more questions than answers regarding how such forces would operate in practice. Western officials emphasize that any troops sent to Ukraine will not participate in offensive operations, nor will they perform peacekeeping tasks or monitor ceasefire compliance.

Furthermore, international forces will not operate under NATO command or be deployed on the front line.

According to officials, their presence is intended to strengthen Ukraine's confidence in its own security and help restore its armed forces.

The USA participated in the discussion of these plans, however, they will not take part in the mission.

Russia opposes the deployment of foreign troops on the territory of Ukraine. Last year, President Vladimir Putin stated that such military personnel would become "legitimate targets".

Western officials declined to clarify what the rules of engagement would be in the event of an attack on an international contingent in Ukraine. At the same time, they emphasize that military personnel will have the right to self-defense.

UK Defense Minister Wes Streeting stated that the upcoming exercises indicate that Great Britain, France, and their allies are intensifying preparations for the moment when peace comes to Ukraine.

"This is not a hypothetical plan, but real forces ready to help Ukraine as soon as hostilities cease," he said.

Lieutenant General Tom Bateman, British Commander of the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNF-U), called the exercises an important step from political commitments to real combat readiness.

According to him, it's about "real, combat-capable forces ready for operational deployment, the creation of which demonstrates the serious commitment of the countries of the "coalition of the willing" to Ukraine's long-term stability and security."

The exercises, named "Coalition" (Koalicja), which will take place from November 9 to 22, will be a test of how to organize the redeployment, defense, and provision of an international military contingent in Ukraine. In addition, military personnel will practice a command and control system to ensure that units from different countries are capable of operating effectively together.

Approximately 2,800 military personnel will participate in the exercises on land, at sea, and in the air. Great Britain will send 300 military personnel and two Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets.

The fighter jets will practice actions to ensure the safety of civil aviation after Ukraine's airspace reopens for flights.

Turkey has agreed to lead the maritime component of the mission. Its ultimate goal is the demining of the Black Sea waters and the restoration of commercial shipping.

In addition to Great Britain, military personnel from France, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey will participate in the exercises.

However, Western officials cannot yet say what the final composition and structure of the international contingent will be that may be sent to Ukraine after the cessation of hostilities.

Previously, military experts assumed that to ensure Ukraine's security, Western countries might have to send tens of thousands of troops there.

Officials acknowledge that the willingness of individual states to participate in the mission and the scale of their involvement will depend on the circumstances of the cessation of hostilities and the political decisions made in each country.

It also remains unclear what role Western military personnel will be able to play in training the Ukrainian army, which already possesses vast combat experience.

Ukrainian military personnel themselves are currently in high demand as instructors for NATO troops, to whom they transfer their experience in conducting combat operations using drones.

But the main obstacle is that Russia has not yet shown any signs of readiness to stop the war.

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