Shmyhal Proposes to Create EU Army On Basis of Ukrainian Troops

14 February, 2025 T-64BV tanks in service with the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, 2022. Photo: EyePress/Shutterstock Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal proposes to build the EU Armed Forces project on the basis of the Ukrainian army and its combat experience.

He outlined this idea in an article for Politico. According to the Ukrainian politician, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will strengthen the European Union and can become the basis for building a single European army. To realize this idea, only a political decision is needed.

"The bloc is no longer just standing on the threshold of new emerging security challenges. It is living them. But there is a country that's not only faced various manifestations of Russia's aggression and, most importantly, knows how to counter them.

This country is Ukraine. That is why Ukraine's accession to the EU isn't only a moral obligation but a strategic step that is, first and foremost, necessary for the bloc itself. A step that would strengthen its eastern flank militarily and increase its geopolitical weight globally," Shmyhal said.

According to Shmyhal, the Ukrainian army has the richest experience in modern warfare, and the Ukrainian industry has managed to establish mass production of "artillery of the 21st century" - drones. "While no more than 5,000 drones were produced in Ukraine in 2022, the end of 2024 saw more than 1 million FPV drones sent to the front line alone.," the Prime Minister writes.