Poland, Germany announce plans for joint rapid reaction force Including "armoured coalition" for Ukraine

Poland and Germany will jointly create a rapid reaction force on the eastern border of the European Union, the two countries' defence ministers said on March 18, while also announcing plans to launch an "armoured coalition" for Ukraine.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Pruszków near Warsaw, the two ministers said that 2,500 Polish troops and 2,500 German soldiers would be ready for deployment to the eastern edges of the European Union by July, Polskie Radio reports.

The Polish-German rapid reaction force will be performing its tasks as part of the EU's Strategic Compass initiative adopted in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Poland's Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters.

He added that the project would run for a year.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also told the news conference that an international "armoured coalition" would start operating in Warsaw later this month to support Ukraine's defence against Russia's full-scale invasion.

"On March 26, Poland and Germany will launch a coalition of armoured capabilities to support Ukraine," Kosiniak-Kamysz said after talks with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius.

Kosiniak-Kamysz, who is also a deputy prime minister, added that the effort, jointly led by the two countries, would also involve Britain, Sweden and Italy.