Milanović criticizes Israeli defense cooperation

President Zoran Milanović on Wednesday renewed his criticism of Croatia’s defense cooperation with Israel, this time targeting the Trophy active protection system set to be installed on 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks Croatia is purchasing from Germany.

The Trophy system is part of the tank’s standard configuration. It is produced in Europe under Israeli license and based on Israeli technology.

Milanović has questioned cooperation with Israel since May 2025. Tensions escalated further during Defense Minister Ivan Anušić’s visit to Israel this week, where he highlighted the importance of working with Israel specifically because of the Trophy system.

“It’s like buying a German car and putting on Puerto Rican rims. That’s a really ridiculous explanation,” Milanović said, dismissing Anušić’s argument that the system significantly improves the survivability of both crew and vehicle.

The president also condemned Israel’s conduct in Gaza, calling its policy “beastly” and describing it as an unreliable partner.

“For years I had unjustifiably held too much understanding for Israel’s actions, but in the last two or three years I don’t. This is a beastly policy and it is an army responsible for the worst war crimes — in form and content — against a much weaker opponent,” he said.

Milanović reiterated that the Croatian Army would not cooperate with the Israeli Defense Forces and argued that Croatia should instead turn to Germany, France, and primarily the United States.

Despite the criticism, Anušić said Croatia stands to benefit from cooperation with Israel’s defense industry.

“They are leaders in many fields and there is a lot we can learn from them. There are similar companies in Croatia doing comparable work and developing projects, but they are far ahead of us. They are ready to work with our companies, share knowledge and experience, and that is something we plan to pursue,” Anušić said.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković also rejected Milanović’s remarks.

“He’s the last person who should be telling me and my ministers where to travel. That’s not his job,” Plenković said.