More than 10 EU nations willing to train Lebanon’s armed forces

More than 10 European Union countries are prepared to send people and resources to a planned mission for Lebanon’s armed forces, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. The mission would advise and train the Lebanese military as international efforts focus on strengthening the Lebanese state.

The European initiative follows discussions on how to reinforce Lebanon’s forces and free the army to concentrate on disarming Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group. Western countries have long demanded that Lebanon disarm Hezbollah, and the issue forms a central part of a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel aimed at ending a war that has unfolded alongside the US-Israeli war against Iran.

The plan is also taking shape as the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, approaches its expiry at the end of 2026. The force is expected to begin a year-long drawdown and withdrawal. “The EU is not seeking to replace UNIFIL,” Kallas told reporters in Ireland after a meeting of European defence ministers.

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The EU is not seeking to replace UNIFIL.

“Our objective is to strengthen the Lebanese armed forces and the ability of the Lebanese state to provide security across its territory,” she said, adding that planning was progressing well. An EU official said the bloc aims to establish the mission in mid-October, with personnel arriving in late 2026 or early 2027. Kallas did not identify the participating countries.

France has spent months trying to organise an international conference to strengthen Lebanon’s armed forces and has also proposed an international force to help replace UNIFIL. A senior Western diplomat said major decisions on Lebanon’s future were unlikely before Israel’s election in late October. The diplomat added that progress would be difficult without a clear strengthening of the Lebanese military, enabling it to move into areas previously controlled by Hezbollah.

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Our objective is to strengthen the Lebanese armed forces and the ability of the Lebanese state to provide security across its territory.