Milanović: Look after your own interests, don't push yourself into 'coalitions of the willing'

The President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović participated today in the celebration of the 34th anniversary of the Croatian Military Academy "Dr. Franjo Tuđman".

“In these moments of confusion in Europe and a drama that is still waiting for catharsis in Ukraine, where thousands of soldiers have died, we can only hope that there will be more reason. I do not want Croatian politicians and leaders to be among the guilty and among the responsible because there is no need for that. We should look after our own affairs and our own interests, and not push ourselves into any "coalitions of the willing" because then what is NATO for,” said President Zoran Milanović in his speech at the academy.

Speaking about the situation in the world, he emphasized that "Europe has changed dramatically" and warned that the situation in NATO has also changed due to the position of the USA.

“It is difficult for me to draw a parallel, but - what is NATO without the USA? It exists and it does not exist. The American national security strategy is one thing, the appearance of the NATO Secretary General is another. We hear about the sources of threat, not only in the words of the Secretary General, but also of several heads of state and governments of the largest European countries. We hear that it is a matter of days before there will be a conflict with Russia. People listen to it and they are not indifferent. They are afraid, they are afraid, is it true and is it possible? I think it is not and I think it is beyond reason,” said President Milanović.

Speaking about the situation in the Croatian Army, he said that "we in Croatia lack four thousand people for formation replenishment".

“The equipment is good with the people we have now, but without that wider group, without thousands and thousands of soldiers, infantrymen above all, the army does not exist. How will we attract a generation of younger men, how will we persuade them to join such a strictly rigid hierarchical system as the army? The army is penance, obedience, loyalty, faithfulness, sacrifice – that is the army,” said the president and welcomed the decision to introduce basic military training.

'The introduction of compulsory military service is a good path'

“We in Croatia have opted for this, I welcome it and I think it is a good decision, to reintroduce the option of serving in the military service which is not mandatory. But, it is a system that will not lead to adequate filling, there will be a shortage of people. The psychosis of fear that is being created is costing us, it contributes to people being somewhat reserved and ambivalent. And it is up to us to take care of our worries and our challenges. We are missing four thousand soldiers, officers and non-commissioned officers and we have to fill that somehow. I think that the path that has been chosen and voted for by the Croatian Parliament is a good path and that there is a chance that we will achieve good results in it,” said President Milanović.

“In the meantime, we need to build capabilities, knowledge and arm ourselves, but also, in approaching negotiations and agreements on armaments, we should not get carried away by some kind of holograms of strategic allies who then sell the same goods to your neighbor, who is not in NATO, and more modern goods and who knows what else,” he continued and added that this way of selling weapons is "a good example to see how things work".

“It will not cost Croatia security, we are talking about small countries. It will not cost us as much as it did in 1991, even in the worst-case scenario, which, I believe, will never happen. But this whole episode speaks of the fact that countries, I will not name them, look only at their own interests and will sell to anyone who offers money in order to earn and achieve strategic influence. The only country that does not behave like this is the USA,” he said and concluded that "we need to slowly adopt these lessons, not get carried away, be loyal and well-intentioned, but also observe things and see what the relations are like".

Decisions on the promotion of active officers of the Croatian Armed Forces

On the occasion of the celebration of the Day of the Croatian Military Academy "Dr. Franjo Tuđman", the President of the Republic of Croatia, based on his constitutional and legal powers, adopted decisions on the promotion of active officers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia.

Speaking about the Croatian Military Academy, the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid, said that the academy is extremely important for the Armed Forces and is the foundation of its development. “An army that has access to top-notch knowledge and technologies is at a distinct advantage, therefore it is important to integrate them into this system and educational programs so that they can have officers and non-commissioned officers who are sovereign and competent,” he emphasized.

Increased allocations for defense and the military budget were welcomed by State Secretary and Envoy of the Minister of Defense Branko Hrg, so that the Armed Forces would be even more prepared and capable of protecting Croatia and the Croatian people. But technology means little without trained and prepared people who handle it, and they should be the center of attention, and in this regard, the Croatian Academy of Military Sciences and the University of Defense and Security play an important role in the development and implementation of new study programs.

The Commander of the Croatian Academy of Military Sciences "Dr. Franjo Tuđman", Major General Slaven Zdilar, emphasized that this institution is a strong pillar of knowledge and professionalism and has an irreplaceable role in developing the capabilities of the Armed Forces. He warned of the presence of open war conflicts and the malfunctioning of the mechanisms of the international community.

Source: HRT