Prime Minister of Estonia: Some countries have sent military instructors to Ukraine
20 May, 2024 An instructor from Canada training the Ukrainian military to use NLAW within Operation UNIFIER, October 2022. Photo credits: Canadian Armed Forces Some states have already sent their instructors to Ukraine to train the Ukrainian military.
Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia, stated this, according to the Financial Times. According to Kallas, NATO allies should not fear that sending troops to Ukraine to train its soldiers could draw the Alliance into a war with Russia. She said that there were countries who were training soldiers on the ground already in Ukraine and they were doing so at their own risk.
Kallas added that if Russian troops had attacked NATO training personnel in Ukraine, it would've not automatically triggered Article 5 on mutual defense.
Kaja Kallas. Photo from the social network X
"I can't possibly imagine that if somebody is hurt there, then those who have sent their people will say 'it's article five. Let's... bomb Russia.' It is not how it works.
It's not automatic. So these fears are not well-founded," Kallas said. According to the Prime Minister, in Estonia, parliamentary approval is required to send instructors to Ukraine.
"It's an open, public discussion, but I think we shouldn't rule anything out right now," Kallas said. She expressed her belief that she sees no risk of a direct conflict with Russia if the allies help Kyiv train Ukrainian soldiers on the territory of Ukraine.
Carl Gustaf M4 grenade launcher of the Estonian Defense Forces. January, 2023. Estonia.
Photo credits: kaitseinvesteeringud
"Russian propaganda does nothing but talk about war with NATO, so they don't need a reason to do it. No matter what we would do on our part... If they want to attack, they will attack," Kallas said.
As previously reported, the Estonian government is considering sending troops to rear jobs in Ukraine.
Back in February 2024, representatives of Estonia, as well as Lithuania and the Netherlands, actively discussed this possibility, emphasizing that it was primarily about auxiliary personnel.