@jolyonBrussels is moving to step in before a security gap opens up, even though the EU doesn't have a standing army. Over ten member states plan to send personnel and equipment for a joint mission aimed at training the Lebanese Army. The decision is expected in October, with deployment potentially happening by late 2026 or early 2027. Officially, the initiative is called border and maritime security, but whatever you call it, what it's really about is Hezbollah. The goal is to enable the Lebanese Army to target Hezbollah's weapons, an outcome Western nations have long sought. UNIFIL's mandate expires at the end of the current year, and the UN force will begin withdrawing over the subsequent year. Kallas stated the mission won't replace UNIFIL, just helping out the Lebanese state. Yet the EU is entering one of the messiest corners of the Middle East. #KajaKallas

@jolyonBrussels is moving to step in before a security gap opens up, even though the EU doesn't have a standing army. Over ten member states plan to send personnel and equipment for a joint mission aimed at training the Lebanese Army. The decision is expected in October, with deployment potentially happening by late 2026 or early 2027. Officially, the initiative is called border and maritime security, but whatever you call it, what it's really about is Hezbollah. The goal is to enable the Lebanese Army to target Hezbollah's weapons, an outcome Western nations have long sought. UNIFIL's mandate expires at the end of the current year, and the UN force will begin withdrawing over the subsequent year. Kallas stated the mission won't replace UNIFIL, just helping out the Lebanese state. Yet the EU is entering one of the messiest corners of the Middle East. #KajaKallas