Minister Anušić at the Coalition of the Willing: Croatia will assist Ukraine including through demining

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the Republic of Croatia, Ivan Anušić, participated today, 10 April 2025, at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Kingdom of Belgium, in a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, where discussions focused on coordinating and strengthening cooperation among countries involved in the initiative, aimed at further supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression.

The Minister stated that the meeting participants received useful information from the Coalition’s initiators, Great Britain and France, which will help in further policy planning and concrete steps toward assisting Ukraine.

Anušić: Croatia still stands by its position that it will not send troops to Ukraine

“The best and most effective way of joint action is still being discussed and sought. Croatia will continue to assist within the framework of its existing activities, but also expand assistance, particularly in the field of demining, which has been recognized as an essential and long-term task in the reconstruction of Ukraine,” he emphasized, adding that Croatia still stands by its position that it will not send troops to Ukraine. He also noted that some other countries within the Coalition are ready to deploy their troops to Ukraine, but only in the event of a signed lasting peace.

“It is important to point out that under the leadership of France and Great Britain, further assistance will focus primarily on the rebuilding of Ukrainian armed forces, which have been at war for three years and are exhausted, and need reconstruction in terms of personnel and equipment,” said the minister, emphasizing that today’s talks primarily focused on joint action, strategic planning, and long-term support for Ukraine in the fight against aggression and in the reconstruction process.

He said that in this regard, each country should clearly define, with concrete actions, how it can help Ukraine, without delay, because time is running short.

The meeting was chaired by the Defence Secretary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, John Healey, and the Defence Minister of the French Republic, Sébastien Lecornu.

Ukraine’s Minister of Defence, Rustem Umerov, also attended the meeting. He provided an update on the current situation on the battlefield, plans for the upcoming period, as well as forecasts and expectations regarding the development of the situation.