Poland’s Sikorski Calls for a “European Legion” That Could Include Ukrainian War Veterans

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has proposed creating a permanent “European Legion” to strengthen Europe’s military capabilities.
• He said the force could include Ukrainian veterans with combat experience after the war ends.
• Sikorski sees the legion as a European military pillar that would complement NATO rather than replace it.
• He argues that Europe needs greater military integration and should be able to respond to security threats without relying entirely on the United States.
• The proposal is an idea at this stage, rather than an established European military formation.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has called for the creation of a permanent “European Legion” that could include Ukrainian veterans after the war. He argues that Europe’s future security will require deeper military integration and that Ukrainian soldiers with years of combat experience could become an important part of Europe’s post-war defense capabilities.

Sikorski Wants a Permanent European Force

Sikorski made the proposal in an interview with the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, arguing that Europe needs to develop much stronger independent military capabilities.

His idea is not to dissolve national armies or create a single European army overnight. Instead, he proposes a permanent multinational force that could operate alongside existing national militaries and NATO structures.

The concept of a European Legion is not entirely new for Sikorski. He has previously advocated a European rapid-reaction force, but his latest proposal places particular emphasis on the experience of Ukrainian soldiers who have fought Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Ukrainian Veterans Could Join

One of the most notable elements of the proposal is the potential role of Ukrainian veterans.

Sikorski suggested that Ukrainian soldiers who have gained extensive battlefield experience could join the European Legion after the war ends.

Such veterans would bring experience of modern high-intensity warfare that few European armies currently possess, particularly in areas such as drone warfare, electronic warfare, air defense and battlefield adaptation.

This could give Ukraine an unusual role in Europe’s future defense architecture: not only as a country protected by Europe, but also as a source of military expertise for the continent.

A European Pillar Within NATO

Sikorski does not present the European Legion as an alternative to NATO.

Instead, he argues that it should complement the alliance and strengthen Europe’s own military capabilities.

The idea reflects a growing debate in Europe over how much responsibility European countries should be able to assume for their own defense, particularly amid uncertainty over the long-term level of American involvement in European security.

A permanent multinational force could potentially provide Europe with a rapidly deployable capability without requiring every crisis response to be organized from scratch between national governments.

Why Ukrainian Veterans Are Valuable

The war in Ukraine has created an unusually large pool of European military personnel with direct experience of modern warfare.

Ukrainian forces have spent more than four years adapting to extensive drone use, precision strikes, electronic warfare and rapidly changing battlefield technology.

That experience could become strategically valuable after the war.

Instead of losing this expertise when veterans return to civilian life, European countries could potentially incorporate some of it into their own defense institutions.

For Ukraine, such participation could also provide veterans with a professional pathway after military service.

Europe Is Rethinking Its Defense

The proposal comes amid a broader European discussion about military readiness.

European governments are increasing defense spending, expanding weapons production and discussing new multinational military capabilities.

The debate has become more urgent as European countries consider how to respond to potential threats while also preparing for a future in which the United States may expect Europe to assume a greater share of responsibility for continental security.

Sikorski’s proposal fits into this wider push for greater European defense integration.

It Would Not Replace National Armies

A European Legion would not necessarily mean that European countries abandon their own armed forces.

The concept is closer to a permanent multinational unit that could be made available for European missions while national armies remain responsible for their own territorial defense.

Sikorski has previously described the idea as more realistic than attempting to merge Europe’s national armies into a single federal force.

That distinction could be politically important because European governments remain reluctant to surrender control over their national armed forces.

The Idea Faces Major Questions

Creating such a force would require agreement on numerous issues.

European countries would have to decide who commands the legion, who finances it, where it is based, how soldiers are recruited and under what circumstances it can be deployed.

There would also be questions about how the force would interact with NATO, the EU’s existing military structures and national armed forces.

The role of Ukrainian veterans would require additional legal and political arrangements, particularly concerning military service in a multinational European formation.

From Ukraine’s Battlefield to Europe’s Defense

The most interesting aspect of Sikorski’s proposal is the way it connects Ukraine’s current war with Europe’s future military architecture.

For decades, many European militaries have had limited experience of sustained high-intensity warfare.

Ukraine has developed a very different kind of military expertise through necessity.

If Ukrainian veterans eventually join European multinational forces, that experience could be transferred directly into Europe’s defense institutions.

It could also strengthen the argument that Ukraine’s integration into Europe’s security system may extend far beyond weapons deliveries and political alliances.

A Proposal for the Post-War Era

Sikorski’s proposal is explicitly linked to the period after the war.

That means it should not be interpreted as an immediate plan to create a new force composed of Ukrainian soldiers.

Instead, it raises a longer-term question: what happens to Europe’s security architecture after the war, and what role will Ukraine play in it?

If a European Legion is eventually created, Ukrainian veterans could become some of its most experienced personnel.

For Europe, that could turn one of the consequences of the war — a generation of soldiers with unprecedented combat experience — into a potential source of future military strength.

The proposal remains only an idea for now, but it reflects a broader transformation in how Europe views its own defense — and the increasingly important role Ukraine may play in that future.