The President of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, stated that Croatia “has no enemies except Serbia,” with which relations remain unaligned, adding that Zagreb is “doing everything it can” to improve ties.
“Croatia, in fact, has no enemies, it only has Serbia, with which it cannot harmonize relations,” Milanović said during a ceremonial session marking the Day of Krapina-Zagorje County.
He added that it would be very good if normalization were possible, but it is not, and “for that, I truly do not see those responsible in Croatia.”
“We are doing everything we can on our side,” he said, emphasizing that Croatia must be very careful not to drift—whether by plan or inertia—into any new global hostilities with other states.
“We do not want clashes, we do not want conflict. Do we have the right to such a foreign policy? Our existential need is to be masters in our own country, but not with a wallet in our pocket—because today no one carries cash—but with our own minds and our own judgment about what is good for us and what is not,” Milanović stressed.
Speaking about the European Union, he noted that the bloc largely produces its own food and thus ensures its needs.
“The European Union is a project of peace and security, not a project of war, into which it is increasingly turning day by day as we sit here,” the Croatian president said.
He added that “there are a number of efforts to arm the EU, and this is no longer a peace project.”
“We are part of a community where major plans are being drafted, in whose strategic thinking we can hardly participate. We are very small, but those plans affect us greatly,” he said.
Milanović also pointed to military capacity concerns, noting that Germany has around 250,000 soldiers and questioned the likelihood of it reaching one million, citing cultural and legal constraints.
“People do not want to go into the army,” he added.
He further questioned Croatia’s own capacity, stating that with around 17,000 soldiers on paper and 13,000 in reality, reaching 50,000 with reserves—seen as a minimum for serious defense planning—is highly unlikely.
