The Croatian president says that Ukraine is not an ally of his country

ZAGREB – Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has stated that Ukraine is “not an ally” of his country. He warned against bringing “war” to the Balkans.

“Ukraine is not an ally. It was forcibly turned into one. It was cynically awarded candidate status of the European Union (EU). This is what the European Union is today: poverty, zero,” he said Milanovic, reported by RT.

Speaking to reporters, he also criticized Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic for his suggestion to train Ukrainian troops in Croatia.

Milanovic said such a move would “bring war” to the country.

“You keep promoting moral blackmail,” he told Plenkovic, “but you yourself have no morals. Go to Ukraine and fight”.

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Speaking about the Croatian army’s readiness for war, Milanovic noted, for example, the shortage of anti-tank rockets. “We have Americans, who will defend us as they defend Ukraine. Great!” he said sarcastically.

The president’s comments came after Croatian lawmakers failed to adopt a motion to join the country in an EU program intended to train some 15,000 Ukrainian servicemen to fight against Russia.

Last week, only 97 out of 151 Croatian MPs supported the proposal, less than the two-thirds of MPs expected to support it.

Before the vote, Milanovic, who is the commander-in-chief of the Croatian armed forces, warned that joining the program could make Zagreb a target for Russia.

Plenkovic, whose cabinet supports the mission, in turn accused the president of harboring “pro-Russian views”.

(she)