Ukraine in EU and NATO operations. A desire for integration
(BRUSSELS2) Ukraine is not only seeking to get closer to Europe in political or economic terms. This is also the case in terms of defence.
First Ocean Shield then Eunavfor Atalanta
The Ukrainian frigate "Hetman Sahaidashny" has thus joined the Indian Ocean to participate in the NATO anti-piracy operation (Ocean Shield). The ship is equipped with a Ka-27 helicopter and a visiting commando group. There will remain several months before joining the European operation EUNavfor Atalanta from January 3 to March 5, 2014. Between the European Union and NATO, Ukraine does not choose. It takes both! Cost for the country: 8 million approximately euros (89 million Grivna). And this is not an isolated fact. Some Ukrainian units will also participate in the permanent battlegroup in the first half of next year, the "Helbroc" under Greek leadership. also a first for Kiev!
A nautical mile towards European integration?
The significance of these participations is, indeed, very political. The official website of the Ukrainian Navy did not hesitate to title for the occasion: "Nautical thousand for European integration". The Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Patrick de Rousiers, was recently received at the highest level in kyiv and Sevastopol. He thus met not only the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Vladimir Zamana, and the Commander of the Ukrainian Fleet, Admiral Yuri Ilinbut also the Minister of Defence, Pavlo Lebedev, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Viktor Mayko, as well as Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council Oleksandr Medvedko. A sign !
A desire to participate more in CSDP
« All confirmed their desire to see Ukraine quickly join and participate more closely in European CSDP missions “, as confirmed by a witness of these meetings. Icing on the cake: The general was also able to test the simulation module for pilot training, where he engaged in aerial combat aboard a MiG-29 with the head of the tactical aviation brigade, Colonel Juli Mamchur.
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