The President of Croatia has ruled out the country's participation in the EU peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has ruled out the participation of soldiers in the potential deployment of a European armed contingent in Ukraine. This was announced on March 26 in the Office of the President of the Republic.

"Croatian soldiers will not participate in this farce. If the government still believes that it should provide Ukraine with material and technological assistance, let it continue. I am responsible for Croatia's defense, national security and territorial integrity, as stated in the Constitution," he said.

According to him, the European peacekeeping mission in Ukraine "will never be implemented, with or without Croatia, because the basic conditions for this have not been met." At the same time, Milanovich stressed that such an initiative is dangerous due to the lack of Russian consent.

Signs of disagreement: Europeans against sending soldiers to Ukraine

Western allies may try to strengthen Kiev's position with the help of mercenaries.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on March 25 that European leaders were showing themselves to be politically untenable dreamers when they proposed deploying peacekeepers in Ukraine. He noted that the West is already talking about two peacekeeping missions: one will be on the border of Ukraine with the European Union (EU) and NATO, and the other will include military personnel from the countries of the Global South.