Lithuanian–Polish–Ukrainian Brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG; lt, Lietuvos-Lenkijos-Ukrainos brigada, LITPOLUKRBRIG; uk, Литовсько-Польсько-Українська Бригада, ЛИТПОЛУКРБРИГ; pl, Brygada litewsko-polsko-ukraińska) is a multinational brigade countries of the

Lublin Triangle The Lublin Triangle ( lt, Liublino trikampis; pl, Trójkąt Lubelski; uk, Люблінський трикутник, Liublinskyi trykutnyk) is a regional alliance of three European countriesLithuania, Poland, and Ukrainefor the purposes of s ...

consisting of units from the

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

, Polish and

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

armies. Other countries are free to join the trilateral agreement. An agreement on its creation was signed on November 16, 2009. The brigade was to reach operational status in autumn 2011,Combined Ukrainian-Polish-Lithuanian brigade could appear in autumn
Kyiv Post (13 May 2011) but it was delayed; a January 2012 estimate put that date at some time in 2013. The unit was finally formed on September 19, 2014. In July 2015 the defense ministers of the three countries signed an agreement on the operation of the unit. The LITPOLUKRBRIG headquarters (HQ) was opened in

Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of ...

(Poland) on 25 January 2016.Coordination Group discusses LitPolUkrBrig participation in military exercises
Interfax-Ukraine (1 April 2016) Lithuania and Poland are NATO members, while Ukraine is Enhanced Opportunity Partner of NATO. The brigade participated in the training exercise "Brave Band" in February 2016.

Name

2017-10 named after

Konstanty Ostrogski Konstanty Iwanowicz Ostrogski (c. 1460 – 10 August 1530; lt, Konstantinas Ostrogiškis; uk, Костянтин Іванович Острозький, translit=Kostiantyn Ivanovych Ostrozkyi; be, Канстантын Іванавіч Ас� ...

History

On June 14, 2007, during an EU Defence Ministers' meeting, Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian ministers agreed to create a multinational unit. Robert Rochowicz
List intencyjny w sprawie LITPOLUKRBRIG podpisany
Polska Zbrojna, 16.11.2009 In fall of 2008 the proposed unit type was specified as a brigade. The three countries did have experience in past joint military operations, most notably, through the Lithuanian-Polish Peace Force Battalion and the

Polish–Ukrainian Peace Force Battalion Polish–Ukrainian Peace Force Battalion (POLUKRBAT) or Ukrainian-Polish Peace Force Battalion (UKRPOLBAT) is a Polish- Ukrainian peacekeeping battalion, formed in the late 1990s expressly "for participation in international peace-keeping and huma ...

. Lithuania and Poland are NATO members, Ukraine is currently not but requested to join the

NATO Membership Action Plan NATO is a military alliance of Member states of NATO, twenty-eight European and two North American countries that constitutes a system of collective defense. The process of joining the alliance is governed by Article 10 of the North Atlantic ...

in January 2008.Ukraine asks to join NATO membership action plan
UNIAN (January 16, 2008) In November 2009 a "Protocol of Intent" covering formation of a joint Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian brigade ("LITPOLUKRBRIG") was signed by Defense Minister of Lithuania, Rasa Jukneviciene, Deputy Secretary of the Polish Ministry of Defense Stanisław Komorowski (representing the indisposed Defense Minister of Poland,

Bogdan Klich Bogdan Adam Klich (born on 8 May 1960 in Kraków) is a former Minister of National Defence of Poland. Son to Adam Klich. Bogdan Klich was interned in 1981 during the martial law set by the communist regime. Until November 16, 2007, he was a ...

) and acting Defense Minister of Ukraine

Valeriy Ivashchenko Valerii Ivashchenko ( uk, Валерій Іващенко) (* 30 July 1956, Zaporizhia) — Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine in 2007–2009, Acting Minister from 2009 to 2010. Colonel stock. Biography Ivashchenko born 30 July 1956 in Za ...

. Marcin Wojciechowski
Wspólna brygada Polski, Litwy i Ukrainy
Gazeta Wyborcza, 2009-11-16 On March 17, 2014, The Daily Telegraph (online edition) reported, as part of its live coverage of the

2014 Crimean crisis In February and March 2014, Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This event took place in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and is part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian War. The events in Kyiv t ...

, that Poland's defence ministry had announced it was re-launching plans to establish a joint Polish, Ukrainian and Lithuanian military brigade. The ministry said "defence ministers would meet later that week to discuss the formation of the brigade that would straddle Nato’s eastern border and bring Ukraine’s armed forces closer to the Western fold". In February 2016, the brigade participated in the training exercise "Brave Band".

Organization

The brigade has its headquarters and staff in

, Poland, with the national components stationed in their respective countries and actually gathering together only for exercises and foreign missions. Only its staff officers are supposed to cooperate on a regular basis.Polsko-litewsko-ukraińska brygada do misji pokojowych
Gazeta Wyborcza (November 16, 2009) The unit is intended to be used to fulfill tasks given to it by NATO, European Union (EU) and the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...

.Poland, Lithuania eye military tie-up with Ukraine
Reuters (November 17, 2009) The operating language of the brigade is agreed to be English. The unit was formed on 19 September 2014. Headquarters was officially opened in Lublin on 25 January 2016, in a ceremony attended by defence ministers of the three countries.

Political ramifications

The agreement between Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine was signed two days before an EU summit with Russia aimed at increasing cooperation between the two. Analysts expected the formation of the brigade could anger Russia, because Russia is against Ukraine joining NATO. A NATO spokesman welcomed the Polish-Lithuanian plan, stating that cooperation may increase trust and capabilities. According to Poland's Deputy Defence Minister Stanisław Komorowski "This move reflects our support for Ukraine. We want to tie Ukraine closer to

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

structures, including military ones". In November 2009 Polish newspaper '' Gazeta Wyborcza'' predicted the chances that the brigade would become a reality were larger if Yulia Tymoshenko would win the

2010 Ukrainian presidential election Presidential elections were held in Ukraine on 17 January 2010. As no candidate received a majority of the vote, a run-off election was held between Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych on 7 February. On 14 ...

, and smaller if Viktor Yanukovych would win them. Yanukovych won the elections, but preparations for the brigade continued.Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas met with Vice Minister of Defence Poland
Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Lithuania (March 15, 2010) Yanukovych stated on May 27, 2010 that Ukraine considered Ukraine's relations with NATO as a partnership, "And Ukraine can't live without this artnership because Ukraine is a large country".Yanukovych: Ukraine currently not ready to join NATO
Kyiv Post (May 27, 2010) Despite initial concerns that the LITPOLUKRBRIG provoked Russia, since 2016 the "Trilateral Brigade" (this term is used by the US military to identify the unit) has continued operating out of Lublin and pursued its "four main missions of international cooperation: executing and participating in battle staff training, battalion staff officer courses, multinational exercises, and activities of the Joint Military Training Group–Ukraine." Even with the 2022

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since February 2014. Following Ukraine's Re ...

, the Trilateral Brigade HQ is staffed by a blend of army personnel: 5 Lithuanians, 58 Poles, and 18 Ukrainians. This HQ can plan, organize, command, and control approximately 4,500 LITPOLUKR troops for international military operations. Finally, the success of the Trilateral Brigade has led two researchers - Lt Col Jahara Matisek (US Naval War College) and Prof. Will Reno (Northwestern University) - to contend in 2022 that this unit provides a comparative advantage and flexible options against Russia, and is a model for future security cooperation between NATO and non-NATO militaries.

References

External links