EU Considers Sending Military Advisors to Ukraine Amid Hungary’s Concerns

The European Union is exploring the option of sending military advisors to Ukraine as part of its mission to train Ukrainian troops, according to European Pravda on April 14.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, speaking after the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, commented:

“They want to send military advisors to Kyiv under the training mission already established for Ukrainian troops.”

He reminded that Hungary had chosen not to participate in the EU’s military training mission, with the condition that any such mission should take place outside Ukraine:

“We remained outside of this mission, but we had a key condition – that such a mission could only operate outside of Ukraine.”

Szijjártó noted the potential risks of sending EU military advisors to Ukraine, expressing concerns about the potential for escalating Russia's war against Ukraine.

“EU military instructors should not conduct training programs for Ukrainian soldiers on the territory of Ukraine, as this carries a serious risk of escalating the war.”

“For us, this is a red line,” he added.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas also addressed the issue briefly, acknowledging the success of the current mission and suggesting the possibility of expanding its scope:

“We have a mission to train Ukrainian soldiers, which has already trained more than 73,000 people. So today we also discussed what more we can do when it comes to training missions. Should we expand the mandate of the missions we already have, to also contribute to the security guarantees of the coalition of the willing?”

Previously it was reported that a cross-party group of British MPs is urging the UK government to establish a joint UK–Ukraine defense production centre aimed at accelerating weapons deliveries to Ukraine and strengthening the UK’s defense industrial base.