The Croatian parliament has rejected the government’s proposal, which includes a proposal to approve the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Croatia as part of the European Union’s mission to support Kyiv forces.
The parliamentary vote came after Croatian President Zoran Milanović had previously refused to sign the proposal, saying it was unconstitutional.
The President was an ardent opponent of Western policy in Ukraine. He defended the provision of humanitarian aid by his country only to Ukraine.
While opposition parties called the vote “politicized” as a result of a dispute between Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and President Milanović, who usually disagree on many issues.
“This is a choice between Ukraine and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. Croatia has been a member of NATO and the European Union for many years, this is not neutrality or impartiality,” Plenkovic said ahead of the vote.
Croatia was supposed to deploy up to 100 military personnel on its territory, and 80 Croatian instructors went abroad to train Ukrainians in other EU countries.
The government needed a two-thirds majority in parliament to approve this decision.
However, the decision did not pass, since only 97 out of 151 deputies supported it, which is only 4 less than the required number.
The EU Assistance Mission to Ukraine was established in October with a mandate to provide the 27 countries of the bloc with various forms of support and training for Ukraine.
Source: Associated Press
