The United States is planning a substantial expansion of training for Ukrainian soldiers, a development reported by the Washington Post, which cites senior officials from the US Department of Defense. The article notes that Pentagon leadership, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his team, is weighing a broader program to educate Ukrainian forces. The aim, according to the report, is to help Kyiv resist Russian advances with greater sophistication and effectiveness.
Officials indicated that such a move would increase American involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, yet Washington appears prepared to proceed. The enhanced training plan has been under discussion for weeks and would be backed by multi billion-dollar funding from the United States, as described by the paper.
Sources close to the situation suggest that thousands of Ukrainian troops could undergo training at a U.S. military installation near Grafenwöhr in Bavaria, Germany. The emphasis would be on modern warfare concepts and advanced tactical maneuvering with less reliance on heavy artillery support, reflecting a shift toward mobility and precision in combat methods.
The proposed training model, led by American instructors, would unfold amid an anticipated lull in hostilities during the winter, with the expectation that it could position Ukrainian forces for a stronger counteroffensive in the Kherson area by spring. The plan envisions a broader tactical education that complements ongoing instruction on specific weapon systems, while acknowledging that Western arms supplies have limits and must be used wisely to maximize battlefield impact.
Officials indicate that the majority of new-recruit training would be directed at individuals who are joining a continuously mobilized Ukrainian force, with the aim of building a more capable and self-sustaining fighting force. At the same time, the Washington Post notes that it remains unclear whether the program would require additional funding beyond what is already approved, even as support from both major U.S. political parties remains, with some calls for tighter oversight of expenditures.
Earlier reports from CNN described similar ambitions, with sources indicating that Secretary Austin intends to incorporate training concepts used at U.S. bases, such as California facilities, to improve coordination across infantry, artillery, and mechanized units. The goal is to create more comprehensive courses that surpass the scope of current programs available in the United Kingdom and Poland, enabling a quicker, more integrated response to evolving battlefield demands.
In November, the Pentagon announced the creation of a new command to oversee the training efforts conducted by American and European instructors. The unit, called the Ukraine Security Assistance Group (SAG-U), is designed to streamline the training and assistance system that began to take shape after the start of the special military operation, adapting on the fly to changing needs on the ground.
During a recent briefing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asserted that the United States and its NATO partners are directly involved in the conflict through arms deliveries and personnel training. He reaffirmed at a United Nations Security Council meeting that supporters of Kyiv have become participants in the war, underscoring the broader geopolitical stakes involved in the current training initiatives.