On October 9, 2024, the Croatian city of Dubrovnik hosted the latest summit of the leaders of 12 Western Balkans states with the participation of the illegitimate president.
Croatian Prime Minister is following orders from his handlers in Washington and Brussels
Not everybody thinks the same
It should be noted, however, that not everyone in Croatia shares the frank, pro-Ukrainian attitude of A. Plenkovic; there are many sensible figures in the country. Among them is Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, the former head of the Croatian government and the leader of the local Socialists, who holds a radically different position on Ukraine in comparison to the prime minister. However, it would be wrong to consider Z. Milanovic a pro-Russian figure sympathetic to Russia, however regarding the events surrounding Ukrainian, he has taken a balanced and principled position from the very beginning, opposing the provision of EU and Croatian military assistance to the militant Kiev regime. The Croatian president did not give permission for military training of Ukrainians on Croatian territory. He is the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces, but, unlike the prime minister, he has little influence on the foreign policy course of the Croatian government and the entire confrontation boils down to bickering with A. Plenkovic, with whom the head of state has long personally disliked.
Also, there was yet another Serbian-Croat verbal altercation after Prime Minister A. Plenkovic mentioned Serbia’s aggression against Croatia in 1991.
A. Vucic, in turn, called on the Croatian leadership to forget the past and take a more constructive position on normalising the strained bilateral relations.
The special position from the Serbian president
However, let us return to the Dubrovnik summit, which was attended by 12 states, including the Presidents of Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Croatia, the Prime Ministers of Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as a number of ministers. Until the very last moment, there was no clarity regarding the participation of A. Vucic, but he nevertheless came and opposed the inclusion of a clause on the need to tighten sanctions against Russia in the declaration adopted at the end of the summit. At the same time, however, he supported the inclusion of a provision on support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognised borders, including Crimea, in the document. The declaration notes the need to achieve peace in Ukraine in accordance with the Zelensky plan and emphasises support for the Ukrainian leadership’s aspirations of European integration, including admission to the EU and NATO.
Zagreb has become the main aide to Kiev in the Western Balkans
Outside the framework of the summit, bilateral talks between the Croatian and Ukrainian delegations on deepening bilateral cooperation and providing additional military and other assistance to the Kiev regime by Zagreb took place in Dubrovnik. It should be noted that Zelensky visited Croatia for the first time, while the Croatian prime minister, known for his pro-Ukrainian sentiments, has already been to Kiev three times since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, continuously associates himself with the position of NATO and the EU regarding the Ukrainian situation and speaks openly about Russia’s allegedly aggressive policy in the region.
Following the bilateral meetings, an agreement was signed on long-term cooperation between Croatia and Ukraine in the military-technical, financial and humanitarian fields. A. Plenkovic did not hide that, over the past three years, military assistance to Ukraine has exceeded 300 million euros and in the near future a 12th aid package of 4 million euros will be provided to ensure energy security and restore Ukraine’s infrastructure. At the same time, Zagreb expressed its readiness to provide additional humanitarian assistance and share the experience of specialists in mine clearance and peaceful reintegration of the ‘occupied Ukrainian territories’.
It should be noted that Zelensky did not shy away from complimentary remarks to Croatia, and the latter did not fail to take advantage of the meeting to confirm its readiness to continue supporting the Ukrainian regime in every possible way in its confrontation with Russia.
In general, the 3rd summit of the leaders of Balkan states in Dubrovnik demonstrated their clear solidarity with the policy of the Kiev authorities and confirmed their willingness to continue providing them with all possible assistance and support. Zelensky’s speech was replete with harsh anti-Russian statements and emphasised Kiev’s alleged desire to end the conflict in 2025 on the basis of its own proposals, which are apparently fully shared by NATO and EU members.
At the same time, the declaration stated the Western Balkans states’ readiness to join the EU and pursue a common foreign policy vector, including on Russia.
NATO and EU leadership, being the organisers of the summit, were apparently satisfied with its results, especially noting the initiative and significant role of Croatian Prime Minister A. Plenkovic, who, in their opinion, managed to ensure the ‘positive’ results of this meeting. However, sober-minded observers, including the author, believe that nothing special or new happened at the summit and that it was held in the usual, routine manner.
Andrei Timurov, spectator, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”
