Ukrainian military trainers will help the German army achieve the goal of being ready to deal with any Russian attacks on the NATO alliance by 2029, the German Army Commander said, marking a reversal of role after many years of Western soldiers training Ukrainian forces.
Berlin and Kiev last month agreed to allow Ukraine to send military instructors to German army schools to share lessons learned in the conflict with Russia.
We have high expectations. The Ukrainian army is currently the only force in the world with direct combat experience with Russia" - Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, Commander of the German Army, shared with British media.
Mr. Freuding said that Germany is the first country to reach an agreement with Ukraine on sending military trainers, but noted that other countries will soon intend to follow suit.
When asked what Ukrainian coaches would contribute, Mr. Freuding cited the assessments of German and Western intelligence agencies that Russia may be ready to launch a large-scale attack on the NATO military alliance in 2029.
“That time is almost tomorrow. We don't have much time - the other side won't wait for us to declare we are ready. So we must take advantage of every opportunity to prepare,” Freuding said.
Regarding the training plan, Mr. Freuding said that the Ukrainian training team initially could be at the level of "a few dozen people", and each stay in Germany for several weeks. These lecturers are expected to share expertise in fields such as artillery, engineering, armored combat, UAV use as well as command and control systems.
Since Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine in 2022, Germany has trained Ukrainian soldiers to use many types of weapons such as Marder infantry fighting vehicles, Leopard tanks, self-propelled artillery and air defense systems.
According to Mr. Freuding, during combat, Ukraine has continuously developed these skills, and at the same time formed tactics and capabilities in data-centered operations - a military term referring to highly digitized and connected operations - that military textbooks can hardly fully describe.
The fact that they are now coming to Germany as lecturers shows the equal security partnership" - Mr. Freuding said.
Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly rejected accusations that it intends to provoke NATO countries, emphasizing that these are rumors aimed at justifying the increasingly deep militarization in Europe.
