Montenegro to join EU military training mission for Ukrainian troops
Source: Radio Liberty, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The decision to join the EU mission was submitted to parliament nine months ago but only passed now, with 49 of 81 MPs voting in favour of it.
The resolution stated the deployment aims to "strengthen the capacity of Ukraine's Armed Forces to defend the country's territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, as well as to deter and respond to the current military offensives by the Russian Federation and other potential aggressors".
Opposition parties accused Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić, a known opponent of NATO and supporter of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, of delaying the vote. His party, part of the ruling coalition, opposes NATO membership and the sanctions Montenegro imposed on Russia following its aggression against Ukraine.
Montenegro joined NATO in 2017 under the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which was ousted from power in 2020. DPS noted that "90% of today's parliamentary majority did not vote for NATO accession", referring to the delay in approving the EU mission.
Defence Minister Dragan Krapović emphasised multiple times that the mission would not involve the deployment of Montenegrin troops to Ukrainian territory.
"I want this to be absolutely clear. I would never support that. All mission activities take place on EU territory, in Poland and Germany," Krapović stressed.
The EU mission is one of two so-called Ukrainian missions launched after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, in which Montenegro is expected to participate.
The second is organised by NATO. On 7 February this year, Montenegro's Defence and Security Council adopted a draft decision to join NATO's NSATU programme – security assistance and training for Ukraine.
Council members – President Jakov Milatović, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and Speaker Andrija Mandić – agreed that Montenegrin involvement in NSATU must be limited to NATO territory.
NATO will coordinate the training of Ukrainian security forces under this initiative.
The final decision on Montenegro's participation in NSATU will be made by its parliament.
Background: The EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine was launched on 17 October 2022 with an initial two-year mandate. It is funded through the European Peace Facility. The mission's mandate currently runs through November 2026.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
5 minutes ago
- UPI
Ukraine's 2 anti-corruption agencies detain 4 in drone, weapons scheme
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Saturday that four Ukrainians have been detained in an investigation of "large-scale" corruption by the nation's two anti-corruption agencies. File Photo by Ole Berg/EPA Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Four Ukrainians have been detained in an investigation of "large-scale" governmental corruption, the nation's two anti-corruption agencies said Saturday. A member of parliament, two current and former officials, and a member of the National Guard military were involved, according to the nation's National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. They allegedly were involved in a plot to take funds appropriated for drones and electronic warfare in 2024 and 2025, NABU posted on Telegram. They also acquired and distributed "unlawful benefits on an especially large scale," the agency said. On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law passed unanimously by the parliament that restores the independence of the two agencies. One week earlier, the parliament had passed the law and Zelensky signed it that essentially ends their independence. The former law sparked large protests and international rebuke, the Kyiv Independent reported. In his daily video address, he said the schemes were "absolutely immoral." Today I received a report from the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk. I am grateful for our special long-range operations on Russian territory. Each of them is tangible for the enemy, and our operations will continue - Russia is dragging out the war, so it... Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 2, 2025 "I am grateful to the anti-corruption agencies for their work," Zelensky posted on X. "There can only be zero tolerance for corruption, clear teamwork in uncovering it, and ultimately, a fair sentence. It is important that anti-corruption institutions operate independently, and the law passed on Thursday guarantees them all the tools necessary for a real fight against corruption." NABU Director Semen Kryvonos and Head of the SAPO Oleksandr Klymenko delivered a report. A Ukrainian MP, along with heads of district and city administrations and several National Guard servicemembers, were exposed for bribery. I am grateful to the anti-corruption agencies for... Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 2, 2025 Detained were Oleksii Kuznetsov, a member of Zelensky's Servant of the People party; Serhii Haidai, a former Luhansk governor; Andrii Yurchenko, head of Luhansk Oblast's Rubizhne district and the guard member. Kuznetsov will be dismissed from the Servant of the People in the parliament during the investigation, party leader David Arakhimia said. In one scheme, they are accused of inflating a state contract for the purchase of electronic warfare with officials receiving a kickback of 30% of the conteact in exchange for inflating the price. They were also involved in a similar way in state contracts for drones. A military unit signed a $239,000 contract with a producer with an overpaymernt of $80,000, the agencies said. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced the National Guard was implementing "systemic safeguards" to prevent power abuse. "We are building a system in which honest service is protected, and there will be inevitable responsibility for violations," Klymenko posted on Telegram. Ukraine has been purchasing drones and weapons from other nations since Russia invaded the nation in February 2022.
New York Post
36 minutes ago
- New York Post
Dem senator agrees with GOP that Trump's making progress on trade war
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman admitted that his party had gotten it wrong about President Donald Trump's tariffs, saying that, so far, the U.S. trade war is 'going well.' Asked by Fox News Digital whether he thought the Trump administration was winning the trade war, Fetterman responded, 'Absolutely.' Advertisement 'I'm a huge fan of Bill Maher, and I mean, I think he's really one of the oracles for my party, and he acknowledged it, it's like, hey, he thought that the tariffs were going to tank the economy, and then he acknowledged that it didn't,' said Fetterman. 'So, for me,' he went on, 'it seems like the E.U. thing has been going well, and I guess we'll see how it happens with China.' This comes as Trump is increasing the tariff on Canada from 25% to 35% beginning on Friday, after the U.S. neighbor to the north failed to help curb the imports of fentanyl and other illicit drugs. The White House noted that Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to increase the tariff in an effort to hold Canada accountable for its role in the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S. Advertisement 3 Sen. John Fetterman admitted Democrats are wrong about President Trump's tariffs, claiming that the trade war is 'going well.' AP Additionally, Trump signed another executive order on Thursday to modify the reciprocal tariff rates for some countries to further address the United States' trade deficits. The action reflects Trump's efforts to protect the U.S. from foreign threats to national security and the economy by securing 'fair, balanced and reciprocal trade relationships,' the White House said. Earlier this year, Trump announced an additional 10% tariff on all countries as well as higher tariffs for countries the U.S. has large trade deficits with. Advertisement The tariffs became effective on April 9. Since then, Trump and his team have since made several trade deals with several countries. The U.S. struck a deal with the European Union in which the EU agreed to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy and make new investments of $600 billion by 2028. The EU also agreed to accept a 15% tariff rate. Advertisement The U.S. also made a deal with Japan, which agreed to invest $550 billion in the U.S. to rebuild and expand core American industries. 3 President Trump has raised the tariff rate on Canada from 25% to 25%. / MEGA Japan also agreed to further its own market to U.S. exports, and like the EU, Japan agreed to a baseline 15% tariff rate. However, many Democrats are digging in their heels against Trump's tariffs strategy, saying the negative effects are still on the horizon. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., forecast that, despite the increased revenue, 'within a few weeks or months, you'll start seeing significant increases in most things you buy. And also, you will see disruption in terms of a lot of our industries, because they're not able to access product or supply.' 'When you have across-the-board tariffs, it does operate like a national sales tax, and I think people are going to be more and more hurt,' predicted Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. 'This is the president who said he was going to come in and reduce prices. Prices are going to rise, and they're going to rise more over time,' said Van Hollen. Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said that 'Donald Trump may beat his chest and say, 'Man, I made him take a 15% tariff or 25% tariff,' but also understand that every one of those trading partners is now looking hard all around the rest of the world to find other customers, because Donald Trump is signaling loud and clear that the United States under Donald Trump is not a reliable trading partner. And that's not good for any of us.' Advertisement Warren also claimed that Trump's tariffs are the reason the Federal Reserve has not lowered U.S. interest rates. 3 Fetterman still remains isolated from his party, taking Trump's side in the trade war, as many Democrats argue that negative effects are still on the horizon. AP 'Jerome Powell said last month that he would have lowered interest rates back in February if it hadn't been for the chaos that Donald Trump was creating over trade. And the consequence has been that American families have, for six months now, been paying more on credit cards, more on car loans, more home mortgages, all because Donald Trump has created chaos,' she said. Meanwhile, Republicans whom Fox News Digital spoke with urged the president to double down on his tariff strategy. Advertisement 'I think it's exactly the right approach. It's what I have been urging the president to do, and I think the successes he's winning are big wins for America,' said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. In response to Democrats still predicting economic fallout because of the tariffs, Cruz sarcastically remarked, 'I'm shocked, shocked that Democrats are rooting for the economy to do badly under President Trump.' 'It'd be nice if some Democrats would put their partisan hatred for Trump aside and actually start working together for American workers and American jobs. Unfortunately, I don't see a whole lot of Democrats interested in doing that right now,' said Cruz. Advertisement Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., while agreeing that the tariffs have been successful, voiced that he hopes the goal is to ultimately achieve reciprocal zero percent tariffs between the U.S. and its trade partners. 'Clearly, the president got a good deal from one perspective. The Europeans just caved, they did. Fifteen percent tariffs on them, zero on us, commitment to invest in our country. But the part of the deal I like the most, the E.U. and the president agreed that a whole bunch of goods would be tariff-free. That is, no American tariffs and no E.U. tariffs. It's called reciprocity, and ideal reciprocity is zero on both sides,' he explained. 'That's what I would like us to achieve in all the trade deals,' Kennedy explained. 'Let the free enterprise system work. May the best product at the best price win. That, to me, would be the perfect situation.' Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Tortured Ukrainian journalist honored by Kyiv after her death in Russian captivity
An award-winning Ukrainian war journalist who was tortured and killed while in Russian captivity is being honored after her death. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posthumously awarded Victoria Roshchyna the Order of Freedom on Saturday, for her 'unwavering belief that freedom will overcome everything.' 'Viktoriia was one of those who spoke the truth about the war. She worked on the frontlines and in temporarily occupied territories, risking her life,' Zelensky wrote on X. Advertisement Zelensky said Roshchyna was one of the people who spoke the truth about the war. AFP via Getty Images Roshchyna had been included in a scheduled prisoner exchange list when news of her death came in October 2024, the Ukrainian leader said. 'Russia had pledged to release her but broke its word,' said Zelensky. Advertisement The 27-year-old's mutilated body was returned in February, with her eyes, brain and part of her throat missing. She was stabbed and electrocuted before her death in a Russian prison, in what her cellmate described as 'brutal, unhinged' attacks, an investigation found. Zelensky leaves flowers at a grave site. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/AFP via Getty Images Roshchyna was arrested near the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, soon after reaching the Moscow-occupied Ukrainian territories in the summer of 2023.
