A proposal by the ruling party to train Ukrainian soldiers as part of EU project was rejected by the Croatian government. The EU effort to train 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers was supported by the Croatian government, but it caused a rift within the nation.
According to AFP, President Zoran Milanovic expressed his disapproval of the government’s attitude and claimed that doing so would ‘involve Croatia in the fight more than is necessary.’
According to Milanovic, the army’s commander, ‘it would imply bringing the war into Croatia.’
With only 97 MPs supporting the move, the administration was unable to pass the motion, which required a two-thirds majority in the house to go forward with it. Ahead of the vote, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic accused the president of having ‘pro-Russian views.’
‘The decision on whether some 100 Ukrainian soldiers would be trained in Croatia is a choice between Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime,’ Plenkovic said ahead of the vote.
The vote was also indicative of the public sentiment in Croatia as a recent poll showed that more than 60 per cent of the population was not in favour of training the Ukrainian soldiers.
Croatia is currently a NATO member but the country has always tried to adopt a centrist position on most global issues.
Post Your Comments