Radosław Sikorski announced that the new division is comprised of Ukrainian soldiers recruited from within Poland.
On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, the Polish government announced plans to train a unit of Ukrainian exiles to be deployed in their home country, according to Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.
"In Poland, we are beginning to train the first Ukrainian brigade composed of volunteers from inside Poland," Sikorski said during a NATO Public Forum on Wednesday. "We have up to a million Ukrainians of both genders, and several thousand have already registered for the draft."
This move comes shortly after Warsaw and Kyiv signed a bilateral security agreement, one of which provisions called for training Ukrainians for the ongoing war. Earlier this year, Ukraine had passed a law to increase the pace of military mobilization, desperately needing fresh troops to rotate exhausted soldiers and replace losses on the frontlines against Russia.
The new Ukrainian law obliged men living abroad to renew their military draft information online and encouraged them to return to the country and join the fight. "Interestingly, many want to serve and rotate their compatriots, but they say: 'We don't want to be thrown into the battle without being properly trained and equipped,'" Sikorski noted. "And we're going to do this for them."
The Polish government plans to provide this training to the Ukrainian exiles residing in Poland. "And then they will be available to the Ukrainian government as a unit with the right to return to Poland after their rotation," Sikorski added.
The Polish foreign minister encouraged other European countries hosting Ukrainian male refugees or with significant Ukrainian minorities to follow suit. "If every European country did that, Ukraine would have several brigades," Sikorski said.
This initiative by Poland underscores the growing international support for Ukraine as it continues to defend its sovereignty against the Russian invasion. By training and equipping Ukrainian exiles, Poland aims to bolster Kyiv's military capabilities and provide fresh manpower to the war effort.
The decision to grant the trained Ukrainian unit the right to return to Poland after their rotation suggests a pragmatic approach, recognizing the need to balance Ukraine's requirements with the interests of the Ukrainian diaspora in Poland. This arrangement could also incentivize more Ukrainians living abroad to volunteer for the fight, knowing they would have a haven to return to after their service.
As the war in Ukraine drags on, the international community's efforts to support the country have evolved. Poland's initiative to train and deploy a Ukrainian exile brigade represents a concrete step forward in military cooperation, leveraging the resources and willingness of the Ukrainian diaspora to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.
This move by Poland is likely to be welcomed by the Ukrainian government, which has been desperately seeking additional manpower and resources to sustain its resistance against the Russian invasion. The training and deployment of this Ukrainian exile brigade could provide a much-needed boost to Kyiv's forces, potentially turning the tide in certain areas of the conflict.
Overall, Poland's announcement at the NATO summit underscores the continued international resolve to support Ukraine and the creative approaches being explored to bolster the country's defense.
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