More than 10 EU members express readiness to contribute to the Lebanon mission

More than a dozen EU member states have expressed their willingness to contribute resources and personnel to a mission to advise and train the Lebanese armed forces, EU foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas said on September 1.

The proposed mission comes as the EU looks at ways to strengthen the Lebanese army, allowing the Lebanese military to focus on disarming Hezbollah.

Western countries have long urged Lebanon to disarm the Iranian-backed group. This is a key component of the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. The truce is aimed at ending a war that has been running parallel to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The mandate of the UN force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires at the end of 2026. The force is expected to reduce its presence and leave the country within a year.

“The European Union is not seeking to replace UNIFIL,” Kallas told reporters after a meeting of European defense ministers in Ireland.

“Our goal is to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Lebanese state’s ability to provide security on its territory,” she said, adding that planning was well underway.

An EU official told Reuters that the alliance’s goal was to set up the mission in mid-October and then deploy personnel in late 2026 or early 2027. Kallas did not elaborate on which EU countries would be involved.

France has been trying for months to organize an international conference aimed at strengthening Lebanon’s armed forces. The country has also proposed the creation of an international force as part of efforts to replace UNIFIL.

A senior Western diplomat told Reuters on September 1. He said that it is unlikely that major decisions on Lebanon's future will be made before the elections in Israel in late October. The diplomat also said that progress is unlikely unless the Lebanese armed forces are significantly strengthened and they cannot enter areas previously controlled by Hezbollah.

Earlier, it was reported that Lebanon had asked Greece for help in implementing the agreement with Israel. President Joseph Aoun said at a meeting in Athens that the war had exhausted the country and that the problem could not be solved by force. He expressed hope that Greece would continue to support the Lebanese army.