Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said today in a Facebook post that Croatian soldiers will not participate in foreign wars, including the war in Ukraine, BTA reported.
Yesterday, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković participated in a meeting of the leaders of the "Coalition of the Willing" about the war in Ukraine, writing in an article in Ex that Croatia will continue to offer support for achieving a just and lasting peace that respects international law and the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Today, President Milanović commented that the fact that the Prime Minister participated in the meeting with countries whose leaders have announced the sending of troops to Ukraine does not mean that Croatia will do so as well.
"I remind you that Croatia is a member of the European Union and NATO and has an obligation only through its membership," Milanović wrote on Facebook. "Croatia does not have any obligations arising from the political or military agreements of the leaders of the countries of the so-called. "A coalition of the willing", and the Croatian government is not authorized by anyone to bring Croatia into any new coalitions that could also imply the participation of Croatian soldiers in the war in Ukraine.
He added that he had received a presidential mandate from the people to fight for this position. "That is why I repeat that Croatian soldiers will not participate in foreign wars," he concluded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels yesterday, where he held a video conference with European allies and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about the peace agreement proposed by US President Donald Trump after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. The conversation was attended by leaders from the EU and NATO, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The Ukrainian president is expected to meet with the US president in Washington today. Later, Trump will participate in a multilateral meeting with European leaders.
The "Coalition of the Willing" unites most major European countries, the European Union, NATO and countries outside Europe such as Canada, HINA notes.