Milanović: Croatia will not send soldiers to Ukraine

President Zoran Milanović commented on yesterday's agreements by the Coalition of the Willing on sending soldiers to Ukraine in a Facebook post.

As the Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces, President Zoran Milanović reiterated that Croatia will not send its soldiers to Ukraine. He added that as a member of the European Union and NATO, Croatia only has obligations arising from its membership in these alliances, while, as he says, the decisions of the so-called Coalition of the Willing do not bind it in any way.

We are publishing the President of the Republic's Facebook post in its entirety:

"As I have warned many times that this will happen, certain countries of the so-called coalition of the willing have decided to send their soldiers to Ukraine. Yesterday, in Paris, the intention of France, Great Britain and some other countries to send military units to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement with Russia was formally expressed. In order to remove any doubt about the role of the Croatian Army in the so-called coalition of the willing, as the Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces, I am telling Croatian citizens - Croatia will not send its soldiers to Ukraine. As far as I am concerned, there is no need to discuss this further. Croatia is a member of the European Union and NATO and has only obligations arising from membership in these alliances, while the decisions of the so-called coalition of the willing in no way oblige Croatia or the Croatian Armed Forces. In the new global order that is being created and in which, unfortunately, force and the right of the stronger are becoming the rule in international relations, the key and constitutionally prescribed task of the Croatian Armed Forces is the protection of sovereignty and independence and the defense of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia. Therefore, all previous and announced investments in the Croatian Armed Forces, including the introduction of basic military training, must be aimed at increasing the readiness and capabilities of the Croatian Armed Forces to carry out this constitutional task. In doing so, I emphasize that the financial assistance to Ukraine to which the Government of the Republic of Croatia has committed itself must not be to the detriment of the Croatian Armed Forces, therefore it must not reduce the funds needed to equip the Croatian Army. Likewise, such assistance must not in any way be to the detriment of Croatian citizens and their standards. The duty of all Croatian government institutions is to care for Croatian national interests and the interests of our citizens.”

Source: HRT