Croatian President Zoran Milanović has said he will not allow any Croatian military personnel to participate in the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) mission as it could have “harmful consequences on Croatia’s national interests.”
This puts Milanović at odds with the center-right HDZ-led government, which had already decided to join other NATO allies in the effort involving some 700 military personnel. The mission is aimed at coordinating arms deliveries and training Ukrainian soldiers from a single headquarters at Germany’s Wiesbaden Air Base.
“As the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, I will not allow the participation of members of our armed forces in this kind of mission, which could potentially have harmful consequences on Croatia’s national interests, regardless of the fact that government earlier, of its own volition, assumed this obligation in Croatia’s name, knowing full well that it did not have my approval, and that by doing so they were in breach of the constitution,” Milanović said.
The president underlined that Croatia has stood and will continue to stand by Ukraine in the future, but will not allow the deployment of Croatian military personnel “as long as I am the President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.” Milanović stressed that participation in the mission, even if it is not about direct involvement on the ground at this point, goes against the country’s national interests and “potentially threatens all of its people.”
Naturally, the remarks angered the government which tried to save face by accusing Milanović of playing a political game that “undermines Croatia’s international posture.” According to PM Andrej Plenković, the president’s move comes from “a political approach aimed at spreading lies” of potential danger where none exists. He argued that the Defense Ministry was only sending five army officers to participate in the NSATU mission in Germany.
Although Milanović has the final say as the head of the military, his decision can still be challenged and even overturned if the government requests a parliamentary vote and gathers two-thirds of MPs to support it. However, that might be easier said than done, as the governing HDZ and all its supporting parties only have a slim majority of 78 MPs in the 151-seat Parliament.
This is not the first time Milanović has urged caution regarding Ukraine. He previously criticized the mainstream EU position toward the war as too hawkish and one that threatens “devastating” escalation and said the West’s endless weapon deliveries will not help Kyiv regain control of its occupied territories but “will only prolong the war.”
