Croatian President opposes army participation in NATO mission supporting Ukraine
Photo: Croatian President Zoran Milanović (Getty Images)
The Croatian Army will not participate in NATO activities to support the security and training of Ukraine. The corresponding authorization was not granted by the country's president, Zoran Milanović, according to the website of the Office of the President of Croatia.
It is noted that the Croatian government appealed to Milanović, as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, requesting his preliminary approval to send Croatian soldiers on missions for the North Atlantic Alliance in support of Ukraine. However, he declined.
According to the statement, Milanović refused because "despite the substantial military aid Ukraine is receiving, the end of the war is not in sight, and there is a danger that the conflict could spread beyond Ukraine’s borders." Nonetheless, he stated that Russia's aggression against Ukraine is unacceptable and constitutes a violation of international law. He emphasized that Ukraine is, under these circumstances, a victim of aggression.
At the same time, the Office of the President of Croatia justified his statement by stating that Milanović's primary task is "to protect Croatia from war and to take all necessary measures to keep the country out of armed conflicts."
"Croatia provides and will continue to provide aid to Ukraine, but that assistance cannot involve any form of participation by members of the Croatian Armed Forces. Any other involvement, especially one that would involve the participation of Croatian troops, would represent a departure from the national interest of the Republic of Croatia and could potentially endanger its citizens," the statement says.
Can Croatia still participate in the mission?
According to the Constitution of Croatia, the government can still appeal to Parliament to vote on a proposal from the Minister of Defense regarding troops. However, if Milanović permits it, the decision could be made by a simple majority of votes. Due to his refusal, though, the deployment would need the support of at least two-thirds of the Parliament members.
If this happens, the decision would still come into effect, and the President would have to respect it.
NSATU
At the summit in Washington, NATO leaders announced the establishment of the Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), which will be responsible for coordinating the supply of military equipment and personnel training. The aim of NSATU is to provide stable, predictable, and coordinated security support for Ukraine.
NSATU will operate in Alliance countries and assist Ukraine in self-defense in accordance with the UN Charter. This new structure will not involve NATO as a party to the conflict but will facilitate the reform of Ukraine's defense forces and their integration with NATO.
NATO Summit in Washington
In July, the 75th NATO summit took place in Washington, where the creation of a structure to coordinate long-term assistance for Ukraine, known as NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), was agreed upon.
