On Friday July 24th the defense ministers of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine signed an agreement to create a joint brigade. The Lithuanian-Polish-Ukraine Brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG) as it has been called thus becomes a reality.
The creation of this brigade started back in November 2009 when the first agreements were signed. After that its creation and formation was constantly delayed. The technical agreement signed on Friday July 24th is setting the timeline for the operational status of this new brigade .
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| The technical agreement was signed on Friday July 24th |
Within 6 months the LITPOLUKRBRIG will have to reach its initial operational capabilities and within 12 months it should be fully capable. The command of the brigade will then have to be approved by international certification.
Commanding a brigade made up by the armed forces of three different countries, two NATO allies and one neutral, will not be easy. The brigade commander, his deputy and the Chief of Staff will be assigned by Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine for a period of three years on a rotating basis. The headquarter of the LITPOLUKRBRIG will be located in Lublin, Poland.
The organization of the LITPOLUKRBRIG will consist of:
- An international staff
- Three battalions
- Special-purpose units
Each country (Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine) will provide an infantry battalion as well as personnel for the special-purpose units. The LITPOLUKRBRIG battalions will be held on standby in their native countries. The staff will be made up by a joint command, drawing officers from all three nations.
The brigade will be formed following the model of multinational crisis response capabilities, the European Union Battle Groups. It will participate in joint training and exercises. International deployment is possible but only to international operations mandated by the United Nations Security Council and even then general consent of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine is needed.
Analysis
The creation of the joint brigade or LITPOLUKRBRIG dated back from 2009 but was constantly delayed. Tensions in eastern Ukraine served as the catalyst in transforming LITPOLUKRBRIG into a reality. It should be noted that all three participating countries are known for their fierce anti-Russia stance and it is unclear what the reaction of Russia will be on the creation of the LITPOLUKRBRIG.
LITPOLUKRBRIG will serve as a platform for joint training and exercise but has a bigger potential. First, it allows Poland and Lithuania to draw Ukraine closer to the West and NATO, a move that will lead to protest by Russia. The LITPOLUKRBRIG will also serve as a platform to share information and strengthen ties between these three countries.
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| Seal of the LITPOLUKRBRIG |
Aside from training and exercises the brigade will also be deployable for humanitarian missions outside Europe in support of the UN security council but it is doubtful if this brigade, created for local purposes, will be deployed abroad.
Last it should be noted that Lithuania is taking a strong political and military position against Russia. The Lithuanian Armed Forces are already in a cooperation with the other Baltic States (Latvia and Estonia) to defend the Baltic States. It now becomes part of a second coalition with Poland and Ukraine thus cementing its role as a leading nation deterring any further Russian aggression.
