Council extends EUMAM Ukraine mission to 2028 with 292.6 million budget

The Council of the European Union has extended the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) until 15 November 2028, setting a financial reference amount of EUR 292.6 million for the common costs of the new period. The decision was adopted in Brussels on 9 November 2026 and published in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series) on 11 November 2026 as Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2508, which amends Decision (CFSP) 2022/1968. The new rules enter into force on the date of adoption and apply from 16 November 2026.

Two more years and a bigger mandate

The extension follows a strategic review concluded by the Political and Security Committee (PSC) on 3 September 2026, which agreed that the mission should run until 15 November 2028 and reaffirmed the value of continued EU military support for Ukraine. The PSC also called for close coordination with the work led by the Coalition of the Willing and with NATO through the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), “in an inclusive and non-discriminatory way.”

The mission was created on 17 October 2022 and had already been reshaped and prolonged until 15 November 2026 by Decision (CFSP) 2024/2876 of 8 November 2024. Under the amended text, the EUR 292.6 million reference amount covers the common costs of the mission for the period from 16 November 2026 to 15 November 2028, with a 0 % rate for both commitments and payments under Article 51(2) of Decision (CFSP) 2021/509, the instrument governing the European Peace Facility.

New tasks: lessons learned and defence reform

Two tasks are added to Article 1(3) of the founding decision:

• A structured and robust mechanism for lessons identified and lessons learned, to capture, analyse and disseminate lessons from the battlefield systematically, complementing training.
• Advisory and educational activities supporting Ukraine’s defence reform agenda, at Ukraine’s request, starting with the Ministry of Defence’s human capital reforms and an initial focus on the modernisation of professional military education.

Funding rules were also extended. Common costs charged to the European Peace Facility will cover transport of Ukrainian trainees and trainers to and between training facilities, real life support, medical support and evacuations, fuel and vehicle maintenance, interpreters and personal training kits where Ukraine does not provide them. A third heading allows co-financing of partnership programmes linking Member States’ training centres with Ukraine’s, with criteria to be set by the European Peace Facility Committee.

A permanent EU presence on Ukrainian soil

The decisive change is geographic. EUMAM Ukraine previously operated only on the territory of Member States; it may now act in Ukraine “exclusively for the purpose of direct coordination and of carrying out” the two new tasks. A new Article 7(5) requires the mission to maintain a presence in Ukraine to ensure direct and effective contact with the Ukrainian military authorities, the Ukrainian armed forces and like-minded international partners, so that EU training keeps evolving with Ukraine’s needs.

The move answers a letter dated 10 October 2026 in which Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence invited the Union to ensure a direct presence on its territory on a permanent basis. The status of mission personnel in Ukraine, including privileges and immunities, is to be settled in an agreement between the Union and Ukraine under Article 37 TEU and Article 218 TFEU, while the EU Status of Forces Agreement continues to apply in Member States.

Coordination, command and information sharing

The amended text widens the circle of partners. The mission is to coordinate with bilateral support from Member States and with the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, the Coalition of the Willing and the Multinational Force Ukraine. It must also cooperate with NATO bodies including NSATU, the NATO Representation to Ukraine and the Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre.

The PSC receives explicit authority to amend planning documents including the Mission Plan and the Chain of Command, and to decide on the appointment of the EU Commanders — the Combined Arms Training Commander, the Special Training Commander and any other EU Training Commanders — with such appointments published in the Official Journal. Decisions on objectives and termination remain with the Council. The High Representative may release EU classified information up to “RESTREINT UE/EU RESTRICTED” to Ukraine, the four partner countries, the Coalition of the Willing, the Multinational Force Ukraine and the NATO bodies cited, under Decision 2013/488/EU.

The decision was signed for the Council by its President, S. Harris.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, L series, No. 2026/2508, 11 November 2026, p. 1 (official reference: Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2508).