On December 14, 2021, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) adopted a law allowing the armed forces of foreign states to conduct multilateral military exercises in Ukrainian territory. (Law on the Approval of the Resolution of the President of Ukraine on Admission of Units of the Armed Forces of Other States to the Territory of Ukraine in 2022 for Participation in Multinational Exercises (Foreign Armed Forces’ Exercises Law). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had proposed the text of the law and submitted the bill to the Verkhovna Rada, had requested immediate consideration of the bill due to the extraordinary political circumstances.
The new law provides for conducting 10 large-size multinational military exercises in Ukrainian territory in 2022 involving the armed services of Ukraine and foreign states. (Foreign Armed Forces’ Exercises Law arts. 1 & 2.) The adoption of this law was required because the Constitution of Ukraine prohibits the creation and operation of armed units in Ukraine if they are not authorized by national law. (Art. 17.)
For that reason, the Verkhovna Rada annually adopts special legislation to issue permission for temporary deployment of international military personnel to participate in multilateral drills in the territory of the country.
Provisions of the Law
The law lists the military exercises scheduled to be held by the Ukrainian Defense Forces in Ukraine in 2022 in cooperation with foreign partners. These exercises include readiness trainings conducted jointly with the United States and other NATO allies; naval drills with the United States; and exercises with the participation of troops from the United Kingdom, Poland, Romania, and other countries. (Art. 2.)
According to the law, about 21,500 Ukrainian servicemen and 11,000 foreign military personnel will participate in the exercises on land, at sea, and in the air.
The explanatory note attached to the bill said that 106.5 million hryvnias (about US$3.92 million) would be spent on preparing and conducting the multinational exercises in Ukraine and abroad in 2022. The note specifies the types and amounts of weapons and military equipment to be brought to Ukraine, the period of the foreign troops’ stay, their locations, and their total strength.
The deputy defense minister of Ukraine, Anatoliy Petrenko, stated that “[c]onducting multinational exercises in the territory will help to strengthen national defense capabilities and support political and diplomatic efforts to maintain stability in the region.”