Europe is sending advisers, not soldiers, to Lebanon. Meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, the bloc’s foreign ministers formally created the EU Support Mission in Lebanon, known as EUSM Lebanon, giving it an initial mandate of three years.
The mission has two arms. Military specialists will coach the Lebanese Armed Forces on guarding borders and coastal waters, gathering intelligence and stopping smugglers. Civilian experts will work with the Internal Security Forces on issues such as cybercrime and port security. Nobody deploys yet, though: once operational planning is finished, ministers still need to take a separate decision to launch it. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the goal is to have it up and running “within the coming months.”
Kallas has been careful to spell out what the new outfit is not. It will not replace UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force that has patrolled southern Lebanon for close to fifty years, and its work will not be limited to the south. She has also warned against any “security vacuum” should the blue helmets eventually leave, arguing that Beirut needs control over all of its territory, which in turn means moving toward disarming Hezbollah.
The request came from Lebanon itself. Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji’s ministry helped prepare the mission, and the formal invitation from Lebanese authorities cleared the way for Monday’s decision. The country is still reeling after this year’s Iran war spilled across its borders.
Brussels is pairing the advisers with cash. In September it pledged a further 505 million euros through 2027, completing a one-billion-euro package first announced in 2024. Lebanon’s military has also received 182 million euros from the European Peace Facility since 2022, making it the fund’s third-largest recipient.
