Overview

• EU defense ministers signaled broad support to expand the EUMAM mandate to provide training and advice inside Ukraine once a ceasefire is in place.
• The EU has trained more than 80,000 Ukrainian soldiers to date and officials say the bloc must be ready to train more, potentially by placing instructors in Ukrainian military academies.
• Work has begun on a 19th EU sanctions package after a missile strike on Kyiv killed 23 people and damaged the EU delegation’s offices, with 26 member states backing a condemnation statement.
• Any mandate change and major funding moves require unanimity across 27 capitals, and Hungary continues to block use of roughly €6.6 billion in the European Peace Facility for arms to Ukraine.
• EU ministers are coordinating with a coalition of partners on hard security guarantees for Ukraine after a truce, discussing options that could include European troops on the ground and calling for U.S. alignment to maximize pressure on Moscow.