Ivan Anusic: ‘Croatia is with Ukraine, we are ready to participate in demining’

« Croatia will continue to help Ukraine within what she has done so far. It can expand its help in demining, which will be a huge job and task of all of us, » Anusic said after the first ministerial meeting of the willing coalition led by the UK and France.

Anusic reiterated that Croatia did not intend to send its soldiers in Ukraine after reaching the peace agreement.

« Croatia is still standing at its attitude, which it had from the very beginning that our troops would not go to Ukraine, » he said.

He added that a part of 30 countries involved in the coalition of willing to help Ukraine has no problem sending soldiers once a peace agreement is concluded.

But this is a question that will come to the turn when peace is reached, and now it is necessary to work to ensure further support, primarily in the renovation of the Ukrainian armed forces and define what each of the wills from the willing of the willing can be specifically assisted by Ukraine, the Minister of Defense said.

This is the first meeting of the willing of the willingness at the ministerial level. The coalition was launched by the UK and France and so far three meetings have been held at the level of chiefs of state or government.

Most European countries and Canada and Australia are involved in the coalition. Hungary, Slovakia, Malta and Austria do not participate from European countries.

Defense Minister John Healey said at the beginning of the meeting that in recent weeks, 200 military planners from 30 countries worked on plans to be ready to secure the future of Ukraine after the peace agreement. « We want to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position to protect its sovereignty and distract any further Russian aggression, » Healey said. He pointed out that these plans had clear goals. The first is to secure a safe sky, the second safe sea, the third safety of the mainland. The fourth is to support the Ukrainian armed forces to become the strongest possible remedy, while the forces that would send some of the countries in the will of the willing would be a guarantee that every agreed peace be permanent.