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Poland, Germany Announce Rapid Reaction Force Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on March 18 that Polish and German battlegroups will join Europe's rapid reaction forces in July, as part of the EU's Strategic Compass plan.Kosiniak-Kamysz made the announcement after a meeting with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, in Nowa Wies, near Warsaw.According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, 2,500 soldiers from Poland and 2,500 from Germany will be ready for rapid response, in line with the objectives of the Strategic Compass plan.The Strategic Compass is the European Union's equivalent to a military doctrine, similar to the U.S.-led NATO's "Strategic Concept," which outlines the alliance's goals.Kosiniak-Kamysz also said that Poland and Germany would activate an armoured coalition on March 26 to assist Ukraine. A number of other European countries have expressed interest in joining the coalition as well, including Sweden, Italy, and Britain.The Council of the European Union on Monday ratified an agreement to increase the EU's support for Ukraine's armed forces by 5 billion euros ($5.44 billion) through a dedicated assistance fund.The cash injection comes amid warnings that Kyiv's forces need more resources to be able to hold the line against a larger Russian army and as a $60 billion package for Ukraine is being held up by U.S. Congress.