The presidents of Ukraine and Poland Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Andrzej Duda intend to strengthen the potential of the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG).

They announced this in a joint statement following the talks in Kiev.

“We confirm the need to further develop the capabilities and potential of the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade named after the Great Hetman Konstantin Ostrozhsky,” the document says.

Kiev also expressed gratitude to Warsaw for the practical support of "Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations, primarily in the process of reforming the national security and defense sector in accordance with NATO standards."

"Both sides emphasize the importance of NATO's granting Ukraine the status of a partner with expanded capabilities," Duda and Zelensky said in a statement.

"Statement of intent"

LITPOLUKRBRIG was established in September 2014.

The brigade was named in honor of Hetman Konstantin Ostrog, who was a military and statesman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

During his political career, he led several campaigns against the Russian state.

The backbone of the LITPOLUKRBRIG brigade is made up of Polish servicemen - 3000-3800 people.

Ukraine has allocated 545 troops, Lithuania - 150-350.

The headquarters of the formation is located in Lublin.

It received operational capability in 2017.

The brigade is designed to participate in international peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, including under the auspices of the European Union, UN and NATO.

Warsaw regards LITPOLUKRBRIG “as an instrument of trilateral cooperation within NATO” and a platform for exchanging experience in the fight against “Russian aggression”.

From the point of view of Kiev, the appearance of LITPOLUKRBRIG was a signal to Moscow that the three states were ready to give a "consolidated response" to "any manifestation of aggression."

At the end of July, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba called the trilateral group "a full-fledged NATO brigade capable of carrying out" the most difficult tasks to support peace and security. "

Meanwhile, experts do not share the opinion about the high combat capability of LITPOLUKRBRIG.

According to the director of the Institute for Peacekeeping Initiatives and Conflictology, Denis Denisov, the brigade's functioning is mainly aimed at "propaganda" goals.

“Nominally, this formation is designed to develop interaction between the armed forces of the three countries.

The parts included in it conduct teachings, but this is essentially the end of it.

It is difficult to imagine that LITPOLUKRBRIG would be used anywhere and ever in an operational plan.

Its existence is rather necessary to demonstrate that NATO countries are cooperating with representatives of Ukraine, "Denisov said in a commentary on RT.

  • Servicemen of LitPolUkrBrig on exercises

  • © The General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania

A similar point of view is shared by Alexei Podberezkin, director of the MGIMO Center for Military-Political Studies.

In a conversation with RT, the expert expressed the opinion that there is no "real content" in LITPOLUKRBRIG's activities.

The analyst recalled that Ukraine is not a member of NATO and interaction within the framework of a multinational brigade does not imply the protection of the North Atlantic Alliance.

“This partnership is symbolic.

Any military unit, especially one of operational importance, needs a single weapon, a single command, a single action plan together with other formations.

By itself, it cannot fight.

Therefore, LITPOLUKRBRIG is rather a statement of intent that has no military significance, ”Podberezkin explained.

With status but no membership

According to experts, Ukraine considers LITPOLUKRBRIG and military-political cooperation with Poland as significant steps towards integration into the North Atlantic Alliance.

During a conversation with journalists following a meeting with Duda, Zelensky called the “strengthening” of the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade “an example of successful interaction between Ukraine and Poland”.

Also, according to the Ukrainian leader, Warsaw helps the Armed Forces to adapt to NATO standards.

In turn, Duda said that “Poland stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine on the issue of Ukrainian borders” and “regaining” control over Donbass and Crimea.

For this reason, great attention was paid to the security issue at the talks, the Polish leader said.

“Mr. President (Zelensky -

RT

) drew attention to Poland's presidency of the EU Council in 2025, but I drew attention to the fact that in 2022 Poland will chair the OSCE.

And there, too, I assure you, Mr. President, the issues of Ukraine, its sovereignty and borders will be on the agenda, and we will remember this, and Ukraine can count on Polish support, ”the website of the President of Ukraine quoted Duda as saying.

Denis Denisov believes that anti-Russian aspirations bring Warsaw and Kiev closer together.

At the same time, Poland does not have such a powerful position in the North Atlantic Alliance and the Western community to have a positive impact on the question of Ukraine's accession to NATO.

“Whether Ukraine will join the alliance or not is a question to which Warsaw, in fact, has nothing to do.

The international conjuncture and geopolitical conditions play a role here, which have been changing very quickly lately, but the final decision is still made by the United States.

At the moment, we cannot say that there is a real movement of Ukraine in NATO, "Denisov stated.

Meanwhile, Kiev has high hopes for the prospect of joining the North Atlantic Alliance.

In a recent interview with the Air Force's HARDtalk program, Zelenskiy stated that Kiev is not going to deviate from the course of integration into NATO.

According to him, the country's membership in a military bloc is not a "fantasy", as a number of senior European officials say.

“Today we have already become NATO partners with enhanced capabilities.

We are going to NATO ... NATO is security in our region.

We understand this ... NATO membership is a very important signal to the Russian Federation, and this is the most important support, ”the website of the President of Ukraine quotes Zelensky as saying.

Zelenskiy expressed satisfaction with the status of an advanced partner, which Kiev received from the alliance in June 2020.

Georgia, Finland, Sweden, Jordan and Australia have a similar status.

It allows the implementation of individual programs with the military bloc, but is not a guarantee of joining the alliance.

As stated in a posting on the NATO website, Kiev's status as an enhanced partner does not in any way affect any decisions about its membership in the alliance. 

  • NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

  • © president.gov.ua

According to Sergei Margulis, a RANEPA lecturer, the North Atlantic Alliance in the future may supply the Armed Forces with a certain range of weapons under commercial contracts, increase the number of exercises, but Kiev cannot count on full membership.

"The West is extremely reluctant to consider the possibility of countries having territorial disputes joining the alliance," Margulis said in an interview with RT.

According to the expert, the status of a partner with extended capabilities was granted to Kiev due to the reluctance of the leading Western states to exacerbate relations with Moscow at the moment.

Margulis is also of the opinion that Poland does not play such a significant role in NATO as to facilitate Ukraine's entry into the alliance.

“Poland is interested in deepening the partnership between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Alliance.

In addition, this process allows her to expand her influence in Kiev.

But we see that the main powers of the military bloc understand the significance of the Ukrainian factor for Moscow, and, in my opinion, in the medium term, the issue of Kiev's membership in NATO will not be on the agenda, ”Margulis summed up.