Joint Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade to be ready in 2017
A ceremony was held in Lublin to mark the beginning of the Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian brigade, as reported by web portal TVN 24.
The ceremony was attended by the Defense Ministers of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine; Antoni Macierewicz, Juozas Olekas and Stepan Poltorak.
According to the Defense Minister of Poland, all three battalions have shown solid progress, and there is every chance that the joint team will be at full combat readiness next year.
He added that he considers the cooperation in this brigade as "one of our main forms of military cooperation on the eastern flank of NATO." The Minister stressed that the team consists of two members of NATO-Poland and Lithuania-as well as Ukraine, which is now "under the pressure of Russian aggression." "The brigade is a clear signal to all who would want to violate the peace in Europe," Macierewicz said.
In July, the Ministry of Defense of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine signed an agreement creating the joint brigade. The main tasks of the brigade are to participate in peacekeeping operations, to increase regional military cooperation and to provide assistance to Ukraine in reforming its armed forces.
It is expected that the joint brigade staff training will take place in February 2016.