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Britain, Poland, Sweden Push For EU Security Mission To Ukraine


OSCE military observers take photos during negotiations with pro-Russian forces at a checkpoint blocking the entrance to Crimea last month.
BRUSSELS -- Britain, Poland, and Sweden want the European Union to send a civilian Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) mission to Ukraine.

In a paper seen by RFE/RL, the three countries want the EU foreign ministers to decide on the mission when they meet in Luxembourg on April 14.

The document states that the mission should be launched by June and a core team should be deployed to Kyiv as soon as possible.

It says the mission should focus on the central government in Kyiv but the document states that "it should also have a remit to work in the regions."

The paper also says that the mission should focus on capacity-building and on supporting the police and judicial system in Ukraine.

It would complement the OSCE monitoring mission and NATO's recently agreed package of enhanced support to Kyiv in the defense and security sector.

The EU already has similar civilian CSDP missions in Georgia and Kosovo.
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