Plenković: We will continue our support, because only a strong Ukraine can be an equal participant in peace negotiations

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković participated today in Paris in a meeting on peace and security in Ukraine, organized by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The meeting was attended by around 30 members of the European Union and NATO, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
 
In a statement to the media after the meeting, Prime Minister Plenković said that this is a broader format of a meeting of countries that have been strongly supporting Ukraine for three years, primarily politically, diplomatically, economically, financially, humanitarianly and militarily.
 
Therefore, Croatia was also invited to the meeting, he added, as one of the countries that had, and especially the Croatian Government, a consistent policy of supporting Ukraine as a victim of Russian aggression.
 
Today's topics related to the peace process, and President Zelensky informed them about the talks between Ukraine and the United States of America.
 
Zelensky, the Prime Minister added, expressed his desire to achieve, above all, a ceasefire and for it to be functional and to enable the cessation of Russian attacks on infrastructure, especially the energy infrastructure of Ukraine.
 
It is extremely important for Croatia to be at the table when decisions are made on issues related to our security and economic stability
 
"Today, there were many countries here that want to continue to help Ukraine, as Croatia will do, without having the ambition to send their army to Ukrainian territory, which I have also clearly stated," the Prime Minister emphasized.
 
He said that the Government would continue to provide strong support to Ukraine, recalling the 12 packages of military assistance so far, because only a strong Ukraine, both politically and militarily, can be an equal participant in the upcoming negotiations.
 
"This discussion today in Paris was also a discussion on the security architecture of Europe, and for Croatia, as a young state, it is extremely important to be at the table where decisions are made on issues related to our freedom, our security, economic and social stability," he emphasized.
 
In this context, he reminded that the Government, at its session yesterday, adopted the 8th package of measures to assist citizens and the economy, which is also one of the consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, no one can pretend that this broader process relatively far from our borders does not reflect on our security and our economic and social situation.
 
"We will therefore advocate for respect for international law, with regard to achieving lasting and stable peace," he said, emphasizing that everyone is in favor of peace, on which there is consensus.
 
However, Croatia will certainly not recognize the illegal occupation and annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia and the inclusion of these Ukrainian regions in the constitutional and legal order of Russia.
 
Croatia will continue to participate in all international initiatives that are important for peace and use its experience, above all from the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube region.
 
Today's meeting of this nature was held in the widest format in the past two months and will continue at both the highest political and diplomatic levels.

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