Polish, Lithuanian and Ukraine form Defense Brigade

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Joint Polish brigade, Lithuania and Ukraine

Marcin Wojciechowski
2009-11-16, last updated 2009-11-16 11:27

A letter of intent on the creation of transnational brigade of soldiers from the Polish, Lithuanian and Ukraine signed in Brussels, the defense ministers of these countries. 4.5-thousandth of the brigade is stationed in Lublin

On behalf of the patient's head of Defense Bogdan Klich, the contract signed his deputy Stanislaw Komorowski. Brigade, whose headquarters and headquarters to be located in Lublin, has reached initial operational readiness for two years. Multinational enterprise will receive approximately 4.5 thousand. soldiers. Physically, they will meet together during exercises and during the mission undertaken. Permanently will cooperate with each other only staff officers. After reaching the operational readiness of the brigade will be available to the UN, European Union, NATO and zawiązywanych ad hoc coalitions.

Poland has already formed a multinational battalions with Lithuania and Ukraine, which served as peacekeeping in the Balkans. Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian brigade will, however, the first, which together with the two countries belonging to NATO will create one of the republics of the former USSR not being in the NATO structures. For several years stationed in Szczecin so. Nordic brigade, where soldiers serve with the Polish, Denmark and Germany. Played a major role in the Polish accession to NATO, because it created even before the formal entry of our country to the Alliance. Politicians with whom she spoke, "Gazeta", they hope that the creation of brigade deepen Ukraine's cooperation with NATO.

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For more information on the Russian military exercise

Poland concerned over Russian military exercise

Associated Press
2009-11-17 12:08 AM

Russia's recent military maneuvers near the Polish border prompted a concerned Warsaw to send a letter to NATO, Poland's foreign minister said Thursday.

The episode is the latest to add to tensions between a resurgent Russia and NATO-member Poland, a former Soviet satellite which reacts with anxiety to each show of strength by Moscow.

Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said he asked in the letter to NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen that the alliance take the matter into consideration, but he declined to elaborate on what steps he wanted NATO to take.

"We want to have the best possible relations with Russia," Sikorski said in an interview on state radio. "But if Russia conducts such maneuvers at our borders, this disturbs us and naturally we inform NATO and demand that NATO take this into account."

About 12,500 Russian and Belarusian servicemen took part in the West-2009 exercises in late September in Russia's western Kaliningrad exclave, which borders NATO members Poland and Lithuania, and in southern Belarus about 75 miles (125 kilometers) from the Polish border.

The exercises involved aircraft, armor and other heavy weapons.

Sikorski also praised Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for his recent condemnation of the Soviet Union's crimes against its own people _ some of the strongest criticism of the communist era from the Kremlin since Vladimir Putin became president a decade ago. Putin is now Russia's prime minister.

"This is new, very interesting and gives us hope," Sikorski said.

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Poland, Lithuania eye military tie-up with Ukraine

Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:36am IST

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Poland and Lithuania want to forge military cooperation with Ukraine to try to bring the former Soviet republic closer to NATO, Polish officials said.

Under the plan, the three countries would form a brigade that could participate in international peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the United Nations, the European Union or NATO.

"This reflects our support for Ukraine. We want to tie Ukraine closer to Western structures, including military ones," Poland's Deputy Defence Minister Stanislaw Komorowski told reporters in Brussels after signing a letter of intent.

"This is also proof that Ukraine is taking seriously its desire for closer cooperation with members of the EU and NATO," he said.

Eventual membership for Ukraine in NATO is a key issue in difficult relations between the Western military alliance and Russia after NATO's pledge to admit the former Soviet republic, as well as Georgia, greatly angered Moscow.

The move by Poland and Lithuania, both of which are EU members, comes two days before an EU summit with Russia aimed at increasing cooperation with Moscow.

It also comes ahead of a visit in December to Moscow by NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who has made boosting ties with Russia a top priority since taking over the NATO helm in August.

While the latest move could further anger Russia, a NATO spokesman welcomed the Polish-Lithuanian plan, saying cooperation could build up trust and capabilities.

"There is absolutely no reason why cooperation between individual allies and Ukraine should not be stepped up. If extra capability was made available for NATO operations that can only be welcome by the alliance," James Appathurai said.

NATO and Russia resumed formal cooperation on broad security threats after ties were frozen as a result of Russia's military intervention last August in Georgia, another former Soviet republic Russia sees as part of its sphere of influence.

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Warsaw and Vilnius Call for Military Alliance With Kiev

18 November 2009
Reuters

BRUSSELS — Poland and Lithuania want to forge military cooperation with Ukraine to try to bring Ukraine closer to NATO, Polish officials said.

Under the plan, the three countries would form a brigade that could participate in international peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the United Nations, the European Union or NATO.

“This reflects our support for Ukraine. We want to tie Ukraine closer to Western structures, including military ones,” Polish Deputy Defense Minister Stanislaw Komorowski told reporters in Brussels after signing a letter of intent.

“This is also proof that Ukraine is taking seriously its desire for closer cooperation with members of the EU and NATO,” he said.

Eventual membership for Ukraine in NATO is a key issue in difficult relations between the Western military alliance and Russia after NATO’s pledge to admit Ukraine, as well as Georgia, greatly angered Moscow.

The move by Poland and Lithuania, both of which are EU members, comes in the same week as an EU summit with Russia aimed at increasing cooperation with Moscow.

It also comes ahead of a visit in December to Moscow by NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who has made boosting ties with Russia a top priority since taking over the NATO helm in August.

While the latest move could further anger Russia, NATO spokesman James Appathurai welcomed the Polish-Lithuanian plan, saying cooperation could build up trust and capabilities.

“There is absolutely no reason why cooperation between individual allies and Ukraine should not be stepped up. If extra capability was made available for NATO operations that can only be welcome by the alliance,” Appathurai said.

NATO and Russia resumed formal cooperation on broad security threats after ties were frozen as a result of Russia’s military intervention last August in Georgia.