Croatian President "No Plan to Dispatch Troops in Russia-Ukraine War"
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry "Ungrateful"... Summons Ambassador
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] Croatia, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), officially declared that it will not intervene at all in the event of a war between Russia and Ukraine, prompting a strong backlash from Ukraine, which summoned the Croatian ambassador.
According to Croatia's HINA news agency and others, Croatian President Zoran Milanovi? stated in an interview with the media on the 25th (local time) regarding the Ukraine crisis, "Croatia will not dispatch any troops in case of an emergency," adding, "On the contrary, we will recall every single one of our soldiers belonging to NATO."
He pointed out, "This situation is closely related not so much to the issues between Russia and Ukraine, but rather to the dynamics of domestic politics in the United States," and added, "It is a matter caused by the Republican and Democratic hawks putting pressure on the Pentagon and President Joe Biden to take a hard stance against Russia for domestic political reasons."
He further emphasized, "To resolve this crisis, a compromise that seriously addresses Russia's security concerns is necessary," and stated, "Just as Finland, Austria, and Sweden have maintained neutrality without joining NATO, Ukraine should not join NATO either."
After President Milanovi?'s remarks became known, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Croatian ambassador to Ukraine and strongly protested. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized, "The Croatian president does not even appreciate the support Ukraine provided during Croatia's struggle for independence."
They added, "We conveyed to the Croatian ambassador that President Milanovi?'s remarks regarding Ukraine are absolutely unacceptable," and "Ukraine demanded a public retraction of his statements and measures to prevent recurrence in the future from the Croatian president."
They went on to point out, "President Milanovi?'s remarks reflect Russian propaganda discourse, contradict Croatia's official position supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, undermine the unity of the European Union (EU) and NATO, and harm bilateral relations between Ukraine and Croatia."
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