Mr Milanovic said Ukraine was one of the most corrupt countries in the world and had no place in NATO. He added that Croatia would not help any troops if the situation on the Ukraine-Russia border escalated.

Ukraine has no place in NATO, Croatian President Joran Milanovic told reporters on Tuesday, adding that the situation on the Ukrainian-Russian border is a serious crisis, mainly driven by the dynamics of US domestic politics.

According to the Croatian leader, Ukraine has a way to maintain “regional integrity or 99 percent” and can help Kiev economically, but has no place in NATO, including neutral Finland, Austria and Sweden. Members, more secure states.

Milanovic said the crisis had nothing to do with Ukraine or Russia, but with Joe Biden and his government, adding that he saw “contradictions and dangerous behavior” on the part of the United States on international security issues.

Milanovic said Biden’s pro – democracy government was under pressure from his own party, but was now being pressured by Republicans who had “confirmed and supported” US President Donald Trump’s “safe and peaceful” policy on Moscow. “Now they are urging the Pentagon and Fiden to stand up against Russia,” he said.

If the situation worsens, Croatia (NATO member) will not engage with any soldiers. We have nothing to do with this, it will not exist, I guarantee it.

He recalled that between 2010 and 2014, the European Union and Washington supported the appointment of Viktor Yanukovych as pro-Russian head of state. “Yanukovych is a thug sitting in three chairs and his election is a conspiracy,” he said.

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After 2014, the conflict in Ukraine began, the Croatian president recalled. “The story is this: Ukraine is heading west, there is nothing to look for in a Russian company, the customs union with Moscow and other former Soviet states is bad, and the EU is flowing milk and honey in Canaan.” By comparison, “after eight years, Ukraine remains one of the most corrupt countries in the world, economically stagnant and receiving nothing from the EU.”

Kiev protests

The Kiev Foreign Ministry has issued a public apology in response to a statement from the Croatian head of state. The ministry said it had heard from the Croatian ambassador in Kiev that Milanovic’s statements were completely unacceptable to them.

The ministry said Milanovic’s remarks about the Majdan struggles in 2014 violated the memory of Ukrainians and foreigners who gave their lives for Ukraine’s European future: “Because of his statements, the Croatian leader’s words were” incompatible with human values ​​and abhorrent with the bitter experience of the Croatian people’s war. “

According to the ministry, Milanovic’s statements expose the Russian campaign and contradict Croatia’s official position in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, undermine bilateral relations and weaken EU and NATO solidarity with Europe’s current security threats.

At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appreciates the friendly and cooperative relations with Ukraine Ukraine, which has been successfully growing between the two state governments, and expects further support for Croatia, especially along the European and Euro paths. Atlantic integration.

Croatia left the line

Prior to Milanovic’s statement, Polish President Andrzej Duda spoke of NATO’s unity on the basis of Ukraine’s security, and that no member state had broken ties with other allies.

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At the initiative of US President Joe Biden, the Polish president took part in discussions with British, French, German and Italian leaders or the government on tensions around Ukraine. They were joined by European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

At a press conference in Warsaw following the video conference, Duda noted the unity of the North Atlantic Alliance, saying “as far as key partners are concerned, we can speak boldly.” The rest is NATO. “

The president did not provide details about the compromise, but underlined that there was no indication that Poland was currently in immediate danger. “Of course there is a movement in the Russian Armed Forces, events in the Russian political arena and outside the media, but all of this is currently happening on their side,” he stressed.




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