Croatia’s Leader Rejects Involvement in Ukraine Conflict

(MENAFN) Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has publicly rejected any involvement of his country's military in the war in Ukraine, stating unequivocally that he holds a direct mandate from the public to maintain this stance.

"I have received a mandate from the Croatian people to uphold this position, and therefore I repeat that Croatian soldiers will not participate in other countries’ wars," Milanovic wrote on social media.

His statement followed a virtual summit of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, a group of pro-Ukraine allies. The meeting was co-led by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy among the attendees.

Milanovic sharply criticized Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic for joining the coalition’s talks, emphasizing that Croatia’s obligations are strictly limited to its formal commitments within the EU and NATO.

"Croatia has no obligations stemming from political or military agreements among the leaders of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, and the Government of the Republic of Croatia is not authorized by anyone to push Croatia into any new coalitions that could involve the participation of Croatian soldiers in the war in Ukraine," Milanovic added.

During the summit, the coalition restated its unified backing for Ukraine, applauding Zelenskyy’s "desire" for a just and enduring peace ahead of his upcoming talks with US President Trump in Washington, D.C.

MENAFN18082025000045017169ID1109942022