ZAGREB - Croatian President Zoran Milanovic and visiting Polish President Andrzej Duda reaffirmed on Tuesday that their countries will not deploy troops to Ukraine.

"Poland clearly does not want to take part in that, and neither will Croatia," Milanovic told reporters following his meeting with Duda. He emphasized that while such discussions should not be considered taboo, they must be approached with caution.

Meanwhile, Milanovic emphasized the need for Europe to pursue greater independence from the United States. "We need autonomy in foreign policy and increased solidarity wherever possible," he said.

Milanovic has repeatedly voiced his opposition to sending Croatian soldiers to Ukraine. He has accused the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization of engaging in a proxy war against Russia through Ukraine, and has criticized Western sanctions on Russia as "absurd" and "useless".