Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has refused to allow Croatian soldiers to join NATO’s mission supporting Ukraine, saying he is worried the conflict could spread to Croatia and wants to focus on keeping the country safe.
This was reported by the media agency RFE/RL.
Milanovic's decision goes against a plan agreed on at the NATO summit in July.
This plan included setting up the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), which aims to help Ukraine’s Defense and Security Forces and bring them closer to NATO standards.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic criticized Milanovic’s refusal, calling it "manipulation" that hurts Croatia’s reputation.
Plenkovic also explained that the plan only involved sending a few officers to a NATO base in Germany, so Croatia wouldn’t be directly involved in the conflict.
This is not the first time the two leaders have disagreed over Ukraine policies. Plenkovic’s government strongly supports military aid to Kyiv, including sending 14 Mi-8 helicopters, and Plenkovic has made multiple trips to Ukraine.
On the other hand, Milanovic has been against Western sanctions on Russia and has opposed sending weapons to Ukraine, showing a clear divide between him and the government.
Despite Croatia’s position, NATO remains committed to supporting Ukraine.
