Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković addressed statements made by President Zoran Milanović regarding the non-deployment of Croatian soldiers to Ukraine.
Plenković emphasized that there is no doubt on this matter but also criticized Milanović directly:
“For four years, he has been close to the Russian narrative and opposed to Croatian positions,” Plenković said.
Speaking at the Readiness Coalition meeting in Paris, Plenković stressed that the goal is a just peace in Ukraine and respect for international law.
“Unfortunately, Russian aggression has claimed a large number of lives. Russia holds 19.6% of Ukrainian territory, and at one point this increased to 27%, the same amount of territory Croatia occupied during the Homeland War. The goal is to achieve a just peace, so that Ukraine does not de jure give up its territory at any time, as this would reward the aggressor and ignore international law,” he added.
Plenković reiterated that Croatia will not send military troops to Ukraine, but will continue participating in the Readiness Coalition and provide support to Ukraine.
“Our position is clear; despite widespread misinformation, we never planned to send Croatian soldiers to Ukraine, but we will continue bilateral support for Ukraine in every aspect,” Plenković concluded.
