Milanović: At the NATO summit, I will veto the entry of Finland

In Vukovar, President Milanović commented on changes to the defense law, the issue of reducing the president's powers and the possible enlargement of NATO.

A few days ago, Minister of Defense Mario Banožić hinted at the possibility of reducing Milanović's powers in relation to the Law on Defense. Asked about it, Zoran Milanović said he did not want to talk about it and only said that Banožić was "a funny man".

“Amendments to the law on defense are a terribly complicated procedure, if a coup d'etat is not to be carried out. Negotiations were held with Josipović for a year, and in the end I sided with Josipović. If they want to talk about it, they better beware,” said Milanović, adding that changes cannot be made without his support.

Milanović said he would not sign such amendments to the law.

“Banožić should take what he has because he turned out to be a dangerous petty criminal who does not want to implement the court ruling of the Administrative Court to return Burčul to work, who does not pay per diems to soldiers accompanying the Supreme Commander, and Udbašenković (alluding to the prime minister) encourages him to do so. He first accused me of manipulating Gotovina, Čermak and other generals with some lawyer as Udba idiots, petty fools, and then yesterday they said that I spoke against NATO enlargement even before Russia's attack on Ukraine, so of course I did, but expansion to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. At the time, no one had mentioned Finland and Sweden. Such a lie can only be spread by the Udba axis; it is the kind of mudslinging only Udbašenković and Njonjo (alluding to the parliament speaker) know how to do, Njonjo who appeared the other day. I left him alone for a month and a half, my mother asked me to do so for peace in the extended family, not to touch and trample him, I will have to do it again,” said Milanović.

Milanović announced a veto on Finland's entry into NATO

Milanović announced that he would veto Finland's invitation for NATO membership, until the issue of the election law in BiH is resolved, although he called Russia an aggressor in the war in Ukraine.

“As the president of the state representing Croatia at the NATO summit, I will veto the invitation, if it is at that level," Milanović told reporters in Vukovar.

The NATO summit will be held in Madrid in late May.

In case the invitation is sent at a lower level, he said he was not sure he could force the Croatian ambassador to take his position at the Council of Ambassadors, which can also issue the invitation.

He also said that "like the devil, a sinful soul, I will persecute any representative who is in favor."

I am not Plenković's enemy

Yesterday, former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev wrote on his Telegram profile that Milanović has been threatened with retaliation from Kiev for his statements and views on Russia and Ukraine.

Milanović said he would not be baited.

He pointed out that he was not on Russia's side.

“The Russians are playing their game, they are the aggressor in this war, and we have a clique in power that is actively working against the interests of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I also swore to protect them and I will die politically if necessary, he said, adding that he was not afraid of Russia or Ukraine.

He pointed out that this is not his world.

“I am on the Croatian side, I am fighting for the Croatian state and people and I am trying to gain as much as possible for them. They treat us like fools and a third tier nation, all of which is supported by Plenković, only in order to settle accounts with me - that is the most terrible thing,” said Milanović.

Milanović said that he was neither an enemy nor a rival to the Croatian prime minister.

“We have a treacherous government that betrays the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina who demand so little, the basics of equality,” said the president.

Source: HRT