Original article (in Montenegrin) was published on 19/5/2025; Author: Jovana Đurišić
As a candidate for EU membership, Montenegro has committed to aligning its foreign policy with that of Brussels. In the midst of the Russia–Ukraine war, this alignment has included the imposition of sanctions on Russia and support for Ukraine, a country that has endured Russian aggression for years.
In line with its foreign policy orientation, Montenegro agreed to participate in the EUMAM mission (archived), the European Union Military Assistance Mission aimed at supporting Ukraine.
According to the website of the Parliament of Montenegro, this decision will be reviewed on May 29 during the first regular session of the Assembly. The proposal was submitted by the Council for Defense and Security, whose members had previously reached consensus on the matter.
Nevertheless, certain media outlets in Montenegro—advocates of the so-called Montenegrin-Russian brotherhood and loyalty to “Mother Russia”—have decided to distort the facts and claim that Montenegrin troops will be deployed to Ukraine.
The portal IN4S (archived) published an article alleging that Podgorica is sending troops to Kyiv.
“Training for a regime that glorifies Bandera: Is Podgorica sending troops to Kyiv?” This is the title of the piece published by IN4S, which states, among other things, that: “Montenegro, once a fraternal nation with deeply rooted sympathies for Russia, is now on the verge of making one of the most controversial decisions in its modern history – deploying its soldiers to the European Union mission in support of Ukraine.”
This claim was also widely shared on Facebook (1,2) (archived: 1,2).
But are Montenegrin soldiers really going to Kyiv?
They are not. The EUMAM mission, launched by the EU in response to the invasion of Ukraine, does not involve the deployment of foreign troops to Ukrainian territory. Rather, the training of Ukrainian forces will take place exclusively on the territory of EU member states.
The European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) aims to strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend the territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, and to deter and respond to potential future military offensives by Russia or other aggressors, as stated on the mission’s official website (archived).
EUMAM, the site further explains, works in close coordination with all like-minded international partners to provide training support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The EUMAM mission is open to participation from third countries, and all activities take place within EU territory. So far, 24 EU member states have offered training modules and personnel. The mission also includes the provision of both lethal and non-lethal equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, funded through the EU’s European Peace Facility.
The European External Action Service, in a release dated April 25 of this year (archived), reported that intensive training of Ukrainian troops under the EUMAM mission is ongoing in Poland.
It further recalls that since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU has continuously supported Ukraine in its struggle against the aggressor.
The training mission was agreed upon by EU member states on 17 October 2022, at the Foreign Affairs Council. It is the first EU training mission conducted on European soil. Under its current mandate, 24 participating EU states plan to provide both basic and advanced training for as long as necessary, in accordance with Ukraine’s stated needs. Like-minded third countries may also take part in the mission.
In conclusion, if Montenegro’s parliament adopts the decision on the country’s participation in this mission, Montenegrin troops will not be sent to Ukraine. Their training contributions will take place on EU territory.
This is not the first time such disinformation has circulated in the Montenegrin public sphere. Similar claims were previously made by the portal Borba.
Additionally, the IN4S article is filled with unsubstantiated claims, such as alleging that the “pro-Western military policy is aggressive,” that Montenegro is aligning with it despite a supposedly contrary public sentiment, and that the Ukrainian regime glorifies ultranationalist and Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera. IN4S provides no evidence to support any of these assertions.
Given the clear facts that Montenegrin troops will not be deployed to Ukraine, the claim made by the IN4S portal is rated as fake news.
The “Fake news” rating is given to an original media report (completely produced by the media that published it) that contains factually incorrect claims or information. Content that is rated as fake news can be reliably determined to have been created and disseminated with the intent to misinform the public, that is, to present a completely false claim as fact.
