Croatia pledged an additional five million euros for mine clearance in Ukraine during the International Donor Conference on Mine Action in Zagreb.
“Tomorrow, the government will adopt a decision on an additional five million euros, which is Croatia’s contribution as the host of the International Conference on Mine Action in Ukraine,” announced Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
The Prime Minister mentioned that Croatia has prior experience with mine clearance, having been a victim of aggression in the 1990s, much like Ukraine. He noted that the process of mine clearance in Croatia has been ongoing for decades and advised Ukraine to prepare for a similarly lengthy process.
“Croatia will fully complete the demining process in the spring of 2026, 31 years later,” Plenković emphasised.
Croatia has pledged its support to Ukraine in demining and prosecuting war crimes and providing financial resources. The agreement on mine action cooperation was signed by the Ukrainian Minister of Economy, Yulia Svyrydenko, and the Croatian Minister of the Interior, Davor Božinović, to mitigate the socioeconomic, security, ecological, and other consequences arising from the danger of explosive remnants of war.
Croatian Interior Minister announced that nearly half a billion euros had been pledged for Ukraine. Thirty-four countries attended the conference, expressing their clear political support for Ukraine in demining.
During a video conference, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal praised Croatia’s recovery from war and its ability to inspire and give strength and confidence to Ukraine. Shmyhal highlighted the severity of the landmine problem in Ukraine, with 30% of the territory contaminated, equivalent to 174,000 square meters, three times the size of Croatia. He warned that six million people are at risk, and 250 have already been killed, with 500 injured. Experts predict that up to 10,000 people could be killed, and the World Bank estimates that demining will cost more than $37 billion.
Ukraine currently has only 3,000 mine removal experts and 29 demining vehicles, which needs to be improved. At this rate, clearing the country of mines will take decades. Countries and international organisations have donated around $300 million to address this issue. Kyiv actively seeks innovative technologies to remotely inspect the ground and acquire as much equipment as possible to expedite the demining process. This is crucial to rebuild the agricultural sector as soon as possible.
The European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, has announced that the European Commission has given Ukraine over €43 million in the past 18 months. He also stated that the EU and its member states support demining efforts in Ukraine, with a total contribution of over €110 million.
Representatives from various countries and organisations participated in the conference. These included EU member states, the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Azerbaijan, Norway, Switzerland, the World Food Programme, the UN Office for Project Services, the UN Development Programme, and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining.
