(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 3 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has decided to send a contingent of police officers to Paris for the July 14 military parade on the Champs-Élysées, replacing military personnel. General Tihomir Kundid, Chief of Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, complied with President Zoran Milanović's order to prevent the army from participating. Plenković announced the decision, accusing Kundid of acting "as if we were in a state of war" by following the head of state's instructions over those of the government. The prime minister accused Milanović of pursuing an isolationist policy, authoritarian behaviour, and a "anti-European and pro-Russian" stance. He emphasised that the Defence Minister, not the president, makes the decision to participate in ceremonial missions abroad. The issue has been ongoing for several days, stemming from a disagreement between Milanović, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Plenković regarding 20 Croatian soldiers attending the parade. Milanović argued that France had disrespected Croatia by not sending troops to a parade in Zagreb on July 31, 2025, commemorating the 30th anniversary of Operation Storm. Above all, the parade would not only be ceremonial, but it would also demonstrate the unity of the so-called "coalition of the willing," which supports Ukraine but does not include Croatia. (ANSA).