Plenković meets Rutte: 'Crucial to protect Croatia and allies from air and missile threats'

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels to discuss key security issues and preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. The discussions focused on strengthening Croatia's defense capabilities, the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, and the security situation in Southeast Europe.

Plenković announced on X that Croatia is investing over two percent of its GDP in defense and aims to reach 3.5 percent by 2035. He highlighted Croatia's commitment as a reliable ally, contributing to NATO missions like KFOR and its forward presence forces. Both leaders stressed the critical role of NATO's integrated air and missile defense in safeguarding allies against aerial and missile threats from any direction.

Rutte welcomed Plenković to NATO headquarters, acknowledging Croatia's steadfast support for Ukraine, including financial contributions through the PURL initiative, which facilitates European allies purchasing arms from the U.S. for Ukraine. He also commended Croatia's continued defense investments and modernization efforts. The leaders exchanged views on the Western Balkans, reaffirming the importance of stability, dialogue, and cooperation in the region.

They agreed on the crucial task of adapting NATO's policies, plans, and capabilities to the evolving security environment. Rutte specifically noted the importance of integrated air and missile defense for protecting Croatia and other allies from potential threats.

“

Kao pouzdana i aktivna saveznica nastavljamo doprinositi NATO misijama i operacijama kroz KFOR i aktivnosti prednjih kopnenih snaga. U promjenjivom sigurnosnom okruženju istaknuli smo važnost NATO-ove integrirane protuzračne i proturaketne obrane za zaštitu saveznika od zračnih i raketnih prijetnji iz bilo kojeg smjera