Croatia's President Refuses to Train Ukrainian Troops

Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic has rejected a request submitted by Defense Minister Mario Panozic to agree to train Ukrainian forces on the territory of his country.

The Ukrainian news agency (Ukrinform) quoted a statement issued by the Croatian presidency saying that the minister is not authorized to make such requests, and according to the constitution, only the president, the government, and parliament can make such decisions.

The statement indicated that the Minister of Defense did not specify the activities of Croatian soldiers abroad or Ukrainian soldiers in Croatia, and only provided general information about the EU Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM).

This mission was formed last October 17, with the aim of providing training for Ukrainian soldiers in the territories of the member states of the European Union, while Milanovic announced that he would not allow the training of Ukrainian forces in Croatia.

Last month, the European Council approved the formation of EUMAM Ukraine in order to "contribute to strengthening the military capacity of the Ukrainian armed forces and allow Ukraine to defend its territory within its internationally recognized borders.